NFL 2023 Fan of the Year | NFL.com

Daniel Monreal

To be a 49ers Faithful is to be loyal, resilient, committed through adversity, and inspire others through their passion and the game of football. To represent the Faithful as the 2023 49ers Fan of the Year is to be Daniel Monreal.  

Daniel believes that the game of football raised him having played Pop Warner through high school after his mother passed at a young age. The relationship he developed with the game at that time forged his path to a life of football. In his youth, Daniel was introduced to the value of life's impermanence, an awareness that sadly echoed upon receiving a cancer diagnosis as an adult. He remained resilient through the battle and earlier this year, Daniel was announced cancer-free!   Upon remission, Mr. Monreal made it his bucket list goal to visit every stadium in the NFL and see every 49ers home and away game in the 2023-2024 season. Throughout life's adversities, Daniel's enthusiasm and devotion to his team never wavered.  

Inspired by the likes of the great Jerry Rice and his own formative experiences with the game of football, Daniel has dedicated himself to coaching, mentoring the youth, and giving back to the community. As a youth football coach for over 15 years, his motivation stems from the passion of his players as he guides them through the game he loves with life lessons learned only on the gridiron. Motivated to replicate the positive impact that the 49ers had on his life, Daniel started a non-profit youth football program with the goal of making sure that everyone has the ability to experience the game. The program focuses on inclusion for families that may be struggling with the costs to play. 

Daniel understands the value of lessons and camaraderie learned through football for the rising generation and is committed to providing a better experience for the next generation of football players and fans. Once a player of the game, now a coach and a father - Daniel's passion for the 49ers and football has been inherited by his two sons.  

Since discovering the 49ers in 1988, Daniel Monreal is a shining example of what Faithful to The Bay means. His enduring dedication to his community, his team, and his family is what inspired the 49ers to honor Daniel as the 49ers Fan of the Year and represent the Faithful.