(on his thoughts of comments that his age is a factor in his performance) "When the opportunity comes and I do some of the things I've always done, people will start to second guess themselves. It's cool, it's fine, I like it. It's perfect. I've been here before."
(on if comments about his age add motivation) "It's not really about the motivation. I'm always motivated from talking to guys with that winning mindset. Guys like Joe Montana, just guys who have that championship mindset. I try to put myself in that environment, so I can learn from them and just do some of the things they used to do. I get that just by inquiring about some of the things they did when they were playing ball. That's why I seek guys like Joe Montana and try to cultivate relationships with people like that."
(on if there was adjustments when training in Colorado) "Yeah, it took a while for me to get adjusted to the climate. It was brutal at first but it started to come together."
(on his thoughts of former San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Jim Tomsula) "I think Jim Tomsula was an awesome coach, great person. His integrity was just right and he was all about integrity. He was just a phenomenal man and coach."
(on what has changed between the 49ers current team and the team two years ago) "I don't know. A lot of things happened. We had a coach that was fired, (Jim) Harbaugh. Players retired and players leave. You don't have the same components that you had before. It changes things. It changes things a lot."
(on if the Carolina Panthers defense looks familiar on film) "They do, they do. Some of the same players are still there when we played those guys. It looks very familiar."
(on how this Super Bowl is different than previous ones) "Everything about it is different. I'm back in Santa Clara where I grew up from a little boy to a man. I'm back here. My house is 12 minutes away. It's been a great experience and I look forward to the rest."
(on his thoughts on the difference between the progression of Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton and San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick) "I can't say. I honestly don't know. Maybe Kaep (Kaepernick) is going through something or maybe it just wasn't his time. Everyone has situations, gaps and blocks, in their lives and they have to learn to overcome those things, obstacles. That's all they are. He just has to learn to overcome and find a place in his mind and his heart and just get back on track. I strongly believe that he will do that."
(on how thankful he is to get a shot at getting the ring) "I dream about it. I think about it every day, every night. It's constantly on my mind. I'm just thinking about that ring. When you get this close, you can't do anything but think about the ring. It's a beautiful opportunity for us to be here in Super Bowl 50 at Levi's Stadium, and we have a chance to make history right here. Anything is possible, we just have to stay together."
(on how it will feel to play in Levi's Stadium) "You know, it hasn't been that long since I left here, so it kind of seems like I was just here. I'll look around a little bit and get a gauge of things and I'll come to the realization that I'm actually playing in the Super Bowl at Levi's Stadium."
(on how he can help this team prepare for the Super Bowl) "We kind of talked about some of the things that we need to do so that we have the right mindset and continue to focus as we go into this year's Super Bowl. Some of those things were just staying away from the distractions and don't bring any distractions into the circle. Just stay together and stay in this moment and don't get caught up on the outside because the moment you do is a lot of risk."
(on how much it stings to come close to winning the Super Bowl) "It just weighs heavy on you when you make it to the Super Bowl and can't pull off the victory. There's something about it. It's not really a good feeling at all. I stressed that to some of my teammates that I'm currently playing with and just wanted to make them aware of what it could feel like if things didn't go our way. Just give them that fire and that motivation. It's been great. We have a lot of guys who are very confident in themselves and their abilities and they talk about it on a daily basis. Just that overall confidence has been amazing."
(on if his role changing has been tough on him) "You know it's been tough but I know who I am and I know what I stand for. I know what I can bring to the team. I don't let things like that get me down. I just continue to do everything that I've been doing. Whether it's getting out there early, catching extra passes, whatever it may be, running extra sprints. I continue to do all those things. Like I tell everyone, when you have adversity or obstacles you are facing for the moment because they only last for a moment, it always gets good. This is the time when you start to do more, you do extra. You jump an extra mile. You go all the way and you don't give up, you don't look back. You just keep on getting better."
(on if he sees himself having a big game this Sunday) "I always see myself having big games, whatever the game may be, whether it's playoffs or the Super Bowl. Like I said, I always have to be prepared. I'm always in the moment and I try to stay optimistic."
(on how Carolina Panthers Coach Pete Hoener aided in his development) "Pete Hoener was there when I got drafted. He did so much for me. He did a lot as far as teaching me the game of football from a tight ends perspective, route running and blocking. I look to him as a father. He's like a father figure to me. He was a tough coach. When he left I really, really started to miss him and just wished he was still there. But I understand the business and sometimes it happens the way it happens."