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Deommodore Lenoir is emerging as a rising star in the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers cornerback has climbed the depth chart to establish himself as a bona fide starter. Early in his career, Lenoir was primarily focused on securing a spot on the 49ers roster. Now, in the final year of his rookie deal, he’s on track to earn a significant payday.

On Tuesday, Lenoir joined the 49ers Webzone No Huddle podcast, where he discussed when he realized he needed to go above and beyond to keep his roster spot and gain recognition throughout the league.

“My second year, we had drafted, I believe, I want to say two corners coming into training camp,” Lenoir told Al Sacco and Brian Renick. “So, I kind of figured it was going to be a battle. I’ve never shied away from the competition, but I kind of knew it was going to be a battle.”

The two cornerbacks were Samuel Womack, drafted in the fifth round, and Tariq Castro-Fields, selected in the sixth. While neither defensive back remains on the 49ers roster, Lenoir understood their presence meant he had to fight to prove he belonged.

“When you’ve got draft picks, they always make the team just to get that year of development and a shot,” Lenoir continued. “So, I knew it was gonna be tough coming in. That was kind of like my growth year, I would say, just within the NFL and trying to be one of those dominant players. So that year, I really focused up and locked in.”

Lenoir spent that offseason studying film and envisioning himself in every play, which helped the game slow down for him.

Following this season’s Week 2 game against the Minnesota Vikings, a conversation with star cornerback Stephon Gilmore made Lenoir realize he was earning the respect of his NFL peers.

“He gave me high praise and tell me he’d been watching me,” Lenoir shared. “So, that was a kind of like a moment for me where I was like, ‘Oh, wow, it’s starting to come alive.’ He was the Defensive Player of the Year before (in 2019) and one of the top corners in the league, so if he’s noticing game, everybody else gotta be noticing because real good players in the league only respect good players.”

Lenoir added, “So for him to come up—he ain’t have to do that. That’s just much respect to him.”

You can watch Lenoir’s entire interview below.