MIAMI, Fla. -- Nick Bosa is preparing for the Super Bowl just 26 miles away from where he went to high school. St. Thomas Aquinas High is in Fort Lauderdale, not too far from where his 49ers will play the Kansas City Chiefs for the NFL title on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
He has family and friends galore living in this metroplex. He has peers already eliminated and down in Miami ready to party.
He’s ignoring texts, calls and ticket requests, focusing on the task in front of him. That’s appropriate considering the Chiefs' attack deserves his full attention.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Doing so doesn’t require a mindset switch.
“I have been tunnel-visioned all year,” Bosa said after Thursday’s practice. “This whole week it’s noticeably harder because you have your buddies in offseason mode, doing whatever around town. You see the stuff on social media and get the FOMO [fear of missing out], but you know that what you’re doing is of greater importance. You just have to remind yourself of that.”
Bosa admits he’ll enjoy playing Super Bowl LIV in his home market, just next to his hometown. That’s true even if he’s not enjoying the atmosphere very much while he focuses on the game. There will be plenty of time to celebrate with local family and friends down the road.
“It’s awesome, but right now I’m trying to block out a lot of the stuff that comes from being in your hometown so I can focus on the game,” Bosa said. “It’s really cool to be down here and know the people to help me get where I am are watching.”
San Francisco 49ers
Family and friends will have eyes glued to the TV on Super Bowl eve, hoping Bosa is voted the Defensive Rookie of the Year on Saturday night at the NFL Honors show.
[RELATED: The Choice -- Football runs through Bosa's blood, and it's easy to see]
Bosa won’t be there to accept an award he’s favorited to win at the Adrienne Arsht Center here in Miami. Winning Defensive Rookie of the Year has long been Bosa’s goal, even if it’s one he won’t celebrate in the moment.
“That’s not even in my realm of thought right now,” Bosa said.
He understands there will be plenty of time to revel in accomplishments once all the games are done. For now, tunnel vision.
Programming note: NBC Sports Bay Area feeds your hunger for 49ers Super Bowl coverage with special editions of “49ers Central” all week (8:30 p.m. Thursday, 9:30 p.m. Friday, and 3 p.m. Saturday).
Also tune in at 1 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday for a two-hour special of "49ers Pregame Live" with Laura Britt, Donte Whitner, Jeff Garcia, Ian Williams, Kelli Johnson, Greg Papa and Grant Liffmann. That same crew will have all the postgame reaction on "49ers Postgame Live," starting immediately after the game.