Tight End Jake Tonges Opens Up About Playing for 49ers as a Bay Area Native
ake Tonges with the San Francisco 49ers looks comfortable out on the football field. He scored the go-ahead touchdown Week 1 and planted a pivotal block in a Week 2 victory over the New Orleans Saints.
Tonges should look comfortable in the role because he is right at home. The Bay Area native starred at Los Gatos High School, near Levi’s Stadium, and also attended the University of California, Berkeley.
The third-year tight end was thrust into more snaps for the Niners after star tight end George Kittle strained his hamstring in the opener against the Seattle Seahawks and was moved to injured reserve, sidelining him through at least Week 5.
Good things are finally happening for 26-year-old Tonges. He hauled in a soaring, game-winning 4-yard touchdown against the Seahawks and pancaked New Orleans Saints safety Justin Reid in Week 2 to clear the way for an 11-yard score.
Just last season, Tonges — a 2022 undrafted free agent — had zero catches across 50 offensive snaps in three seasons spent on the fringes of NFL rosters. In his past five quarters, he’s already recorded seven receptions.
Tonges Talks Growing Up in Los Gatos, California
Tonges opened up about his success and growing up in northern California with 49ers’ reporter Briana Jeannel, also a Bay Area native.
“It’s been awesome,” Tonges said. “Heard from a lot of family and friends.
“It was such a classic high school experience,” he added. “They really care about the football team over there. I’ve been very fortunate to do pretty much every year of my life (there), besides a little hiatus in Chicago my rookie year.” Tonges was waived by the Bears in 2023.
Tonges’ former high school coach recently showed the current Los Gatos squad the replay of Tonges’ Week 1 touchdown. Tonges said his college coach did the same.
“I’m glad they showed that,” he said. “I’m fired up. I hope it can maybe inspire some guys to really just stick with it. I was a walk-on and I was undrafted. So just try and take advantage of your opportunities. It definitely makes me smile a little bit that they’re showing that.”
Tonges first played quarterback in high school but transitioned to defense and tight end.
Tonges Admits That He Grew Up a Bengals Fan
Tonges admitted that growing up he was not a fan of the Niners, but the Cincinnati Bengals, the team from where he was born.
“I was a Bengals fan because I was born in Cincinnati (Ohio) and we actually moved out to Los Gatos when I was about five or six years old,” Tonges said. “I think I also liked to root for the Bengals because it was different from everybody around me.”
Don’t worry Niners fans, he’s converted.
“I’ve kind of decided recently, I’ve spent enough time in Bay Area, I’ve played for the Niners for three years, it’s probably time to start being a Bay Area sports fan,” he said.
Tonges Participates on Bay Area-Specific Rapid-Fire Round
Tonges participated in some Bay Area-specific prompts from Jeannel, such as how big of a deal was In-N-Out Burger in Los Gatos?
Tonges said he never participated in the high school tradition of hitting the popular fast food restaurant after a Friday night game. He found himself at Jack in the Box often, though.
“The In-N-Outs were kind of far way,” he said. “I’m sure we would go if they were in town.”
Does Tonges listen to popular Bay Area rappers Mac Dre, Too Short, or E-40?
“At Cal they played a lot of E-40,” he said. “I don’t personally listen to those guys too much, they’re a little older, but I definitely heard of lot it being at Cal.
“SOB X RBE was huge when I was in high school. I saw him perform at Snow Globe one year, which is festival in Tahoe.
And what about earthquake drills growing up California?
“We did some earthquake drills,” he said. “I do remember that.”
“Cal’s football field is actually on a fault line.”
Penguins forward Filip Hallander is back and still wants to take a spot
Filip Hallander’s pursuit is still the same.
But his perspective has changed with the benefit of experience.
In September of 2021, Hallander, then a 21-year-old forward prospect, boldly proclaimed his intentions leading into training camp with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“I’m here to take a spot,” the left-handed winger said. “Just to take a spot.
“If you’re going to be in the main camp, you need to have the mindset of taking a spot.”
Ultimately, Hallander only found a spot in the NHL club’s lineup for three games over two seasons before he left as a restricted free agent in 2023, returning to his homeland to play for Timra of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).
After a breakout 2024-25 season, Hallander re-signed with the Penguins this past offseason and is once again eager to take a spot but with an added sense of clarity on that endeavor.
“(In 2021), I said I wanted to take a spot right away,” said Hallander, now 25. “When you haven’t been here, you don’t understand how many good players there are. Everybody here has been a star on their team growing up, leading up to being here in the NHL. It’s really difficult to grab a spot, even if you play for the best team or the worst team. That’s why it’s the best league in the world. It was kind of maybe not knowing how good it was.
“I felt I grew as the two years went by. Now, coming back, I’m a much better player.”
A brief examination of Hallander’s figures with Timra last season would confirm that postulate as he finished the regular season as the SHL’s second-leading scorer with 53 points (26 goals, 27 assists) in 51 games as a first-line winger. He even broke a single-season franchise record for scoring that was held by NHL star forward Henrik Zetterberg.
“Found some confidence last year,” Hallander said. “Had a really good coach in (former NHL All-Star forward) Olli Jokinen. … He believed in me and made me believe in myself more, that I was capable of doing more stuff than I thought of myself. Before he came, I maybe said I was one kind of player and that was the only thing I could do. He took that away from me and said, ‘You can be whatever you want. You’ve just got to believe it.’ After that, it kind of freed up something in me.
“Playing a lot, having a lot of leadership (duties), a lot of pressure being home, being one of the star players and needing to produce, that was good for me to have a little bit of pressure like that. Be a leader on the team and just grow on the ice and off the ice. Last year was huge in a lot of different ways.”
The motivation for going home in 2023 wasn’t necessarily rooted in hockey.
“Obviously, it was a tough time for us with (covid-19), coming over here,” Hallander said. “Our first (child) was born right away when we got over. We had a difficult time off the ice. As a family, we wanted to (feel) good again. It was nothing based on hockey. I felt I had a pretty good chance if I stayed (with the Penguins). I didn’t have the feeling off the ice. For me, it’s all about feeling good off the ice if I am going to feel good on the ice.
“That was the only decision to leave here. It was to find some peace.”
Will Hallander Find That Spot He Had Long Desired With The Penguins? In The Early Days Of Training Camp, He Has Found A Really Nice Spot With First-liners Rickard Rakell And Bryan Rust.
It’s Probably Safe To Assume Captain Sidney Crosby Is The Favorite To Open The Season With Rakell And Rust. But It Certainly Speaks Well To Hallander’s Potential That Coaches Are Experimenting With Him In Such A Fashion.
“He Was Always A High-compete Player,” Rust Said. ‘”Worked Really Hard. Made Good Plays. But I Think You Could Tell His Skating Is Up A Notch, His Pace Is Up A Notch And He’s Able To Make Plays At A Higher Rate Of Speed Now, Too. That’s Just Part Of Him Getting Better. Obviously, He’s Worked Really Hard At It.
“Had A Really Good Year Last Year. I Expect Good Things Out Of Him This Year.”
Hallander, Who Re-signed With The Penguins In April, Agreeing To A Two-year Deal With A Salary Cap Hit Of $775,000, Seemingly Always Expected To Rejoin The Club.
“(The Penguins) Never Cut Me Off,” Hallander Said. “We Always Had A Discussion About Coming Back. My Goal Was Always To Come Back. I (Needed) To Find My Stride A Little Bit Back Home. After, Especially The First Year Coming Into The Second Year And (Improved Play), We Had A Good Talk At The Start Of Last Season. Right Away, Felt I Wanted To Come Back.”
As much as the Penguins wanted to reunite with Hallander, they offered him no assurances of a roster spot upon his return.
He wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Obviously, we all feel I have become a better player,” Hallander said. “My chances of taking a spot (are) higher now than it was the last time I was here.
“You’ve got to earn it. For everybody, that’s the way you want it to be. You don’t want it to be handed to you. You want to sacrifice everything to find something here. That’s good.”
Note: Reserve goaltender Taylor Gauthier will be sidelined “longer term” because of an undisclosed injury according to a team spokesperson. The ECHL’s goaltender of the year as a member of the Wheeling Nailers in 2023-24, Gauthier is signed to an American Hockey League contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)
