San Francisco 49ers TE Jake Tonges, who caught winning touchdown, grew up in the South Bay

LOS GATOS — While many football fans nationwide heard of 49ers TE Jake Tonges for the first time on Sunday, his game-winning touchdown catch was more of a trip down memory lane for Los Gatos.

“There were times our quarterback threw into coverage knowing that, ‘Hey, our guy is going to beat their guy,'” Mark Krail, the head football coach at Los Gatos High School, said on Monday. “We had a lot of trust in Jake. We knew that he was going to come down with those 50-50 balls a lot more than 50-50.”

Krail, who has led the Los Gatos High School football program since 2013, coached Tonges as a quarterback for his first two years of high school.

“Here was (this) long kid that was a good athlete. So, we convinced him to switch positions and he played a lot of defense for us, too. He was a defensive end and a tight-end for us. He rarely came off the field. He was a very talented player. His senior year, that 2016 season, we won a championship, and he just became our go-to-guy on offense,” he said.

Tonges, who was also a team captain, later enrolled at U.C. Berkeley and became a walk-on for the Cal Golden Bears football team.

He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chicago Bears in 2022. He was on the practice squad, signed a reserve contract, then was waived eight months later.

In 2023, Tonges signed with the San Francisco 49ers. He’s worked his way up from the practice squad, until he became TE George Kittle’s back-up this season.

“I’ve got to be honest: no one envisioned this. But we’re also not shocked because we know the person. We know the hard work ethic. We know the perseverance and the intelligence,” Krail said. “He wasn’t arrogant or cocky. He was very confident. He knew he could play. But there was a humility to him that was refreshing.”

Tonges continues to be a part of the Los Gatos High School football community, as Krail said Tonges often stops by on game days. Tonges also trains at his former high school’s field during the summer and offseason.

“He’ll come around in the offseason and he treats our guys like he’s one of us or we’re one of him. To me, kids sometimes change when they hit the big time. He’s just Jake to us. He’s the same kid that’s in that picture. Little bigger, little stronger, obviously. But still smiling, having a good time, (and) smart as heck on the football field,” Krail said. “Right after (Sunday’s) game, I sent him a text that just (said), ‘Congratulations, I’m sure your phone’s blowing up.’ I didn’t think he would respond. I thought he’d be swamped. An hour later, ‘Thanks, Coach.’ That’s Jake.”