Star 49ers linebacker Fred Warner was raised in a multicultural mobile home in San Diego County, where his mother emphasized leadership and a strong work ethic.

Although the term “born leader” is frequently used, those qualities are actually taught rather than natural.

Although it appears so since he took over as the starting inside linebacker in his first season in 2018,

Fred Warner wasn’t destined to be the 49ers’ captain. Warner had his leadership training in the San Marcos area of San Diego County.

He grew up in a mobile home park with his grandmother next door, a single mother, a younger brother, and a sister.

Warner was smart above his years, whether it was in youth athletics, football at Mission Hills High, Brigham Young, or as a 49ers rookie starter.

By high school, a unique skill set was evident,

but Laura Warner’s ethics and character-building abilities matched or even surpassed it.

In a recent phone interview, Laura stated, “He’s my oldest son and I think he takes on that role and he doesn’t wilt under the pressure of being responsible.”

He adopted it at home as well, setting a positive example and serving as a mentor for his younger siblings, and it shows on the field.

My aim was to impart to them the value of setting an example by acting on your actions rather than just speaking.

Others who desire the same outcome will put in the same amount of effort if you do.

The 49ers can thank her for that when they play their third straight and fourth in five years in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium (3:30 p.m., FOX) against the Detroit Lions.

At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Warner embodies the perfect modern NFL linebacker, with the ability to stuff the run and defend the ball against spread offenses.

Warner and Roquan Smith of the Baltimore Ravens are the only players at his position that are discussed among the best.

Warner, 27, was chosen unanimously this year and has been a first-team All-Pro for three of the previous four seasons.

With nine Pro Bowl choices, the 49ers may be the most talented team in the NFL,

but Warner is their conscience and their contemporary Ronnie Lott—

the perfect, unwavering professional whose only concern is figuring out how to help the 49ers win.

One of Warner’s closest friends and a starting linebacker, Dre Greenlaw, said of the quarterback,

He’s the neck and the backbone on this team in everything he does, and it’s not just the defense.

Everyone is dependent on him. He handles everything.

Leading by example

Laura Warner was less of a talker and more of a doer.

She was a secretary at a law office with lengthy hours. Troy and Mya, Fred’s younger siblings, noticed.

Fred stated in a recent exclusive interview, “My mom had such a huge task of raising not only me but my two younger siblings.”

We saw her get up, make the hour-long journey to work, and remain late to take care of us.

She was a diligent worker, and I saw early on how vital it was that she cared about other people, often to the point of being selfish.

The Warners’ life was not complicated at all, despite the appearance of complexity.

Despite all the hype about the diversity of the 49ers offense, Fred Warner’s diversity is unmatched.

While Warner’s father is half African-American and half Panamanian, Warner’s mother is of Mexican origin.

Despite their occasional conversation and lack of animosity, Fred’s father was not a regular part of his early upbringing.

Warner remarked, “From the time we were young until now, he has been incredibly supportive.”

Simply put, the relationship between him and my mother prevented him from being there.

The only true knowledge I had was that they had separated when I was a young child.

Warner was aware that the children would be cared for by their retired grandmother, Mémère, while their mother was at work and until she came home.

They resided in a mobile home park, and she would make them egg burritos and drop the kids off at school across the street.

There were other friends and relatives nearby as well.

As long as their grades were maintained, the Warner children were placed in sports at an early age and challenged to achieve academically.

Although Laura Warner claimed they rarely grumbled, she would try her hardest to provide an Xbox or other expensive item during the holidays.

Fred remarked, “We never felt like we didn’t have enough.

According to Fred, the ethnic mix was never a topic of conversation or concern.

“In San Marcos, I grew up in a melting pot,” he remarked. “It didn’t matter what race you were—white, black, Mexican, Polynesian, Asian, or anything else.

It was never really a thing where I grew up since there were so many different varieties.

That, I believe, has enabled me to venture out into the world wherever I have been. I’ve had the chance to develop and learn.

Students from diverse backgrounds and teachers alike flocked to him.

Laura remarked, “What culture was around him wasn’t really a big deal.” “He participated in every aspect.”

Faith on display

Fred feels Laura, 51, helped keep him and his siblings on the correct path

by providing a foundation when she switched from Catholicism to the Mormon Church of Latter-day Saints.

In order to keep ourselves focused, stay on the straight and narrow,

and avoid getting engaged in other activities that some of our contemporaries may have been engaging in improperly,

Fred Warner stated that having the church as a tool helped.

It guided us toward the avenues we could pursue.

LDS is “a little bit of a stricter lifestyle,” according to Laura Warner.

Although it wasn’t always easy or accepted by everyone,

I did raise my children in this manner so that they would have the freedom to chose what they wanted when they were adults.

It probably helps with self-control and setting priorities.

Troy, Fred’s 25-year-old brother, was a standout athlete who was a teammate at both Mission Hills and BYU.

He participated in some NFL camps and played in the USFL last season, but he is currently focusing on a career in healthcare.

Mya, 21, is off to graduate school after receiving her UCLA degree in the spring.

Fred Warner arrived at Mission Hills as a 5-foot-10, 140-pound freshman with good abilities.

However, he immediately improved thanks to his hard ethic and gained weight and size.

Mission Hills coach Chris Hauser’s wife volunteered as a reading and vocabulary tutor, and he had a daughter Fred’s age at the same primary school.

Hauser stated, “My wife said Fred was sweet and cooperative.”

Fred was a typical boy, but he was very focused and tuned in when it came to learning and schoolwork.

He made no complaints. He offered everything he had.

Even back then, he had a complete commitment to improving and learning.

Hauser recalls Laura Warner showing up to her children’s booster club meetings after work

just to be there and offer support, without trying to get anything done.

In the 2013 San Diego Section Open Division championship game

Warner led the Mission Hills Grizzlies to a 36-14 victory over Oceanside at Qualcomm Stadium.

Warner was a standout player on defense and also caught a touchdown pass as a tight end.

A little more than a year ago, the school retired Warner’s jersey number forty-three, a moment that brought tears to Warner’s eyes.

Signs of stardom

Having watched the San Diego County high school sports scene closely since he was sixteen,

KUSI-TV anchor Brendon Stone saw right away that Warner was unique in addition to his physical ability.

“You’re preparing yourself to hear from the traditional BMOC, Big Man on Campus, because you saw him,” Stone remarked.

Then, he speaks in a deep, sympathetic voice while maintaining a tone of refinement and humility.

He isn’t acting in accordance with someone else’s directives, so it’s not as if he were a typical “Yes sir, no sir” child.

The younger brother, Troy Warner, shared the same core principles but was a little more edgy on the field and willing to speak his thoughts.

Troy Warner stated, “I knew how good of an athlete he was, and he’s always had the intangibles and the work ethic, so what he’s done isn’t a surprise to me.”

There is no ceiling for you if you put in the effort, focus, and grind. And Fred has no upper limit.

In 2018, Warner, a third-round rookie, was thrown into the 49ers starting lineup after playing a hybrid safety-linebacker position at BYU.

He has developed both as a leader and a player, according to coach Kyle Shanahan.

Warner is able to convey his message because of the production.

According to Shanahan, “there aren’t many really good players who aren’t really good leaders.”

He has the ability to address men and demand respect.

He continued to improve. When you do that, regardless of how effectively you speak, people are drawn to you.

But Fred can talk, and guys are aware of his year-round activities. You must pay attention to what Fred says.

Warner became the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL for a brief period of time in 2021 after agreeing to a $95.25 million agreement.

He wed Sydney Hightower, a previous “The Bachelor” contestant, in 2022.

The Warner House” is the podcast that the two hosts.

When their son is born in March, something even more momentous than the Super Bowl will happen.

He is eager to share with him everything about his past.

“This is where he will begin his life, surrounded by so many diverse cultures,” Warner remarked. “It ought to be something he can flourish in.”