Pleasants makes family time a priority ahead of upcoming season with Niners
- Staff
- Jul 17
- 4 min read
COAL GROVE — The life of football in the NFL has become a microcosm of Austen Pleasants’ real life.
The San Francisco 49ers re-signed him on April 17 this year and he participated in the team’s OTAs where he proved very impressive.
Pleasants will turn 28 on Aug. 22 which puts him into his prime years. With all the experience and various coaches he’s had during his career, Pleasants is hoping to make this a permanent stop.
“The system that (head coach) Kyle (Shanahan) has there, the offense there, I fit into it pretty well. But this business is ever changing and nothing is ever set in stone. So, just taking it one day at a time and rolling with it and being ready for anything.”
Shift gears to Pleasants’ real life.
Besides signing a new contract with the San Francisco 49ers in April, Pleasants and wife Leah welcomed the couple’s second son, Beau, who is now four and one-half months old. His older brother Barrett is one and a half.
“We’ve got two little ones under two (years old) in the house so it’s exciting, just little feet running around and getting into everything,” said Pleasants with a big grin. “It’s been a blessing.”
Oh, and there’s been one other change in Pleasants’ life.
Gone is the shoulder-length hair that has been with Pleasants since college. He laughed when asked if he cut the hair because he lost a bet or his wife didn’t like it anymore.
“It was probably a little bit of the second. It was time. I was tired of taking care of it.,” said Pleasants.
There have been a multitude of changes along Pleasants’ NFL journey and all those experiences combined may have brought him to stability .
After being an All-Ohio lineman for the Coal Grove Hornets, Pleasants signed with Ohio University and was red-shirted as a freshman in 2015.
He played in 28 games for Ohio and was a starter in 20 games. He earned second team Mid-American Conference honors in 2019.
Undrafted, the 6-foot-7, 330-pound Pleasants signed a free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars and was with the practice squad from 2020-21.
He was with Carolina Panthers 2021-22, Los Angeles Chargers (2022-23), Chicago Bears (2023), Arizona Cardinals (2023), Chargers again in 2023, Cardinals again in 2024, the Bears a second time in 2024 and then the 49ers also in 2024.
Pleasants said all the different stops have been beneficial.
“It helps out a lot because every coach, even if they're coaching similar things, the verbiage is different and even if you’re running the same plays, they may want you to do it a different way. So, having that continuity of how they want things done makes my job easier,” said Pleasants.
“It’s been a blessing to be able to see differences of all the different organizations. Take the good, leave the bad. I think it’s helped me out along the way.”
On Nov. 27, 2021, Pleasants was elevated to the 53-man roster and played in his first game in week 12 which resulted in a 33-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Bouncing around on various practice squads, Pleasants got moved to the 49ers active roster on Dec. 21 last year and played in three games. Pleasants said he isn’t taking anything for granted.
“I’m just focused on taking one rep at a time and putting my best foot forward,” said Pleasants. “Just a little focus I don’t think I’ve had before. Just doing my best is all I can do.”
Although Pleasants is listed as an offensive tackle, he has played some guard. However, he said playing center isn’t his forte.
“We have a lot of great guys in our room and more than enough who can put their hand on the ball so that I don’t have to worry about that. I’m sticking to tackle and I can always jump in and play guard if they need to,” said Pleasants.
The big offensive lineman said he has been welcomed in the 49ers locker room and had a lot of praise for his teammates, especially the offensive linemen.
“That’s the great thing about offensive line. It’s five guys working towards one goal and we all have to be on the same page, that’s why we’re so close. The locker room as a whole, as far as my own experience, it’s the best locker room I’ve been a part of and the closest locker room I’ve been a part of,” said Pleasants.
“When things are going not so great, it makes it a little better. When it’s going great, it’s the best feeling in the world.”
Getting to play in the NFL on a regular basis is the dream that not only Pleasants wants to realize, but he’s hoping it sets an example for his own sons and he has decided to spend as much time with his family as possible.
“I think the most important thing is setting aside time and dedicating time in season even if I’m not in town. I talk to them everyday even if they’re not with me,” said Pleasants.
“But when it’s off-season, it’s off-season and I’m locked in on family. I spend as much time with them as possible. And it’s fun, too. I get to show them what I do. It’s also something I’m still learning to do, right? Our kids are so young they really don’t know what’s going on now. I just make sure I dedicate as much time to them as I do the sport.”
Regardless of how long Pleasants plays in the NFL, he said he wants to leave something his sons can embrace when they are older.
“I’ve only got one shot to do what I do. It doesn’t last forever and giving them something to look up to and to say, ‘my dad did that,’ that’s going to be the greatest thing,” said Pleasants.
Sounds like somethings will never change.
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