Raheem Mostert’s fast rise from shark-infested waters of his youth to the Super Bowl

Raheem Mostert could have earned a living doing different things with his feet.

This opportunity presented itself long before he hit the ground running in Sunday’s NFC championship at Levi’s Stadium for the 49ers.

Mostert grew up on the shores of Florida, living the good life as a beach bum. He has called his hometown of New Smyrna Beach the shark-bite capital of the world. So, technically, Mostert could have warded off such creatures with fins with his own scuba-diving fins. He was also known to be so fast in those days that he might have been able to run on water.

As a teenager, Mostert was offered a contract to skate or surf for Billabong. He stuck with football, first as a receiver. At Purdue, Mostert was a kickoff return specialist and four-time sprint champion in track and field at the Big Ten university.

Going undrafted and getting cut six times didn’t dull Mostert’s desire to make an NFL team. He found a home with the 49ers in 2016, securing a roster spot for his ability to jet downfield as a 5-foot-11, 188-pound special-teams gunner.

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Against the Green Bay Packers in a game no one saw coming a year ago, Mostert had a game for the ages. If he can offer even a glimpse of that sort of historic effort against the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl on Feb. 2 in his native state, the 49ers will gleefully take it. Mostert rushed for 220 yards and a conference-championship record four touchdowns in San Francisco’s 37-20 victory.

Mostert’s 220 yards are the second-most in NFL or AFL postseason history – quite a feat considering the NFL is celebrating its 100th year.

For a short time Sunday, Wikipedia listed Mostert listed as the “King” of Green Bay under the government listing of the Wisconsin town. At long last, Mostert is the king of his own castle.

He looked refreshed and motivated against the Packers, a man who seized his opportunity. He was the fastest, most electric guy on the field. Mostert was mobbed by coaches and teammates when it was over, and he offered one-liners afterward amid humility.

“I’ve been on seven different teams and the journey has been crazy,” Mostert said. “Not everybody can deal with that type of stress and the pain and agony I went through.”

It helped that the 49ers offensive line took the Packers to task, creating holes and seams large enough for a shark to pounce. Mostert credited his linemen and they threw kudos back his way.

“We have guys all over the place that are capable of taking over football games. Raheem is the biggest proof of that,” 49ers tackle Mike McGlinchey said.

Mostert produced 261 rushing yards in his first 31 NFL games. He has 772 this season, including the playoffs. His best NFL game was on Dec. 1 at Baltimore, when he went for 146 yards on 19 carries and a score in a 20-17 loss to the Ravens.

Even DeForest Buckner and his 49ers defensive friends caught a glimpse of Mostert.

“The way he hits the hole, he gets so vertical so fast,” the defensive lineman said. “Guys underestimate his speed. His 0-to-60 is literally in two steps. It’s all we need.”

The NFL’s 200 Club

A closer look at the greatest NFL rushing efforts in playoff history, listed by yards gained:

248 – Eric Dickerson of the Los Angeles Rams and his stand-tall stride devastated the Cowboys on Jan. 4, 1986. The Rams won 20-0 as Dickerson scooted for touchdown runs of 55 and 40 yards. He never broke stride on his way to the Hall of Fame.

220 – Raheem Mostert is living proof of perseverance: cut six times by NFL clubs before finding a home with the 49ers, first as a return specialist, and now, suddenly, as a lead-back option.

209 – Lamar Smith of the Miami Dolphins raced and powered through the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 20, 2000, in a 23-17. He had two scores in that game and had 4,853 career yards over 115 games.

206 – Keith Lincoln of the American Football League San Diego Chargers keyed a 51-10 shelling of the Boston Patriots on Jan. 5, 1964, including a 67-yard scoring burst. Lincoln had 3,383 career yards over 99 games.

204 – Timmy Smith is one of those all-time “who?” guys. With the Washington Redskins, Smith shredded the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII on Jan. 31, 1988, a game record, including a 58-yard burst. He managed just 602 yards in 22 career games.

202 – Freeman McNeil (is that a tailback name, or what?) had his greatest day as a New York Jets star on Jan. 9, 1983, leading a 44-17 rout of the Cincinnati Bengals. McNeil had 8,074 yards in 144 career games.

202 – Lawrence McCutcheon was the workhorse for coach Chuck Knox’s “Ground Chuck” attack with the Rams, leading a 35-23 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Dec. 27, 1975, though he did not score. McCutcheon went for 6,578 yards over 109 games.

201 – Ryan Grant of the Packers fueled a 42-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks, scoring three short touchdowns on Jan. 12, 2008. Grant had 4,148 career yards over 68 games.