Trent Williams' voice is unrivaled in its potency. It cuts through the noise of 70,000 fans with the same force with which Williams cuts down linebackers and forklifts safeties.
When he speaks — whether at his locker, which became two lockers, then became roped off in the manner of royalty, during this season — it is impossible not to listen.
His voice holds the substance of his Hall of Fame career, and the wisdom of his experiences with an incompetent franchise and resurgent one, his life-threatening battle through cancer, and all the scars that journey shows — and the ones it doesn't.
With the 49ers' season on the brink, Williams' voice was the one that rang loudest, but he let his young quarterback lead first.
With 6:18 left on the clock, trailing by four points, Brock Purdy said, "Hey guys, lock in. The time is now," according to Chris Conley.
Williams' sentiment was more severe.
"Guys, this might be our last opportunity," Williams said, according to Conley.
Williams confirmed that with reporters. His message was a ship through the literal storm, cutting through the detritus of wasted chances, mistakes, and the existential horror — and embarrassment — of a potential loss.
"We told each other, ‘There are six minutes left. This can be — if we don’t approach it the right way — this can be the last drive of the season,’" Williams said.
For all the slips and scuds, the 49ers pulled it together to save their season on that drive. It took quarterback sneaks, the short passes that hadn't been completed all game, a heroic Chris Conley catch, a Brock Purdy scramble, and a Christian McCaffrey game-winning touchdown run.
It was all there, after it seemed like it never would be.
Kyle Shanahan spoke of that drive, and the win, like a proud father.
"We don't feel like we did [play our best] today, but we still found a way to win, which, very proud of the guys in there," Shanahan said. "I thought that was as big of a mental challenge and just a character game, as I've been a part of.
"When things aren't going how you want on offense, defense, special teams. The rain, guys slipping a lot, losing Deebo early, having to change some things with that. Just some of the mistakes we made to overcome, like it was a gut check for everybody. Couldn't be more proud of the people in there and just how they persevered."
After all that, the 49ers are on the path that most expected them to be on. For the third-straight year, they head to the NFC Championship. This time, they expect to make the Super Bowl and right many of the wrongs of the always-the-bridesmaid conclusions to the past five seasons.