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Father Hails 49ers Draft Pick Dre Greenlaw For Stopping Daughter's Possible Rape At College

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- One of the newest members of the San Francisco 49ers is being lauded not for his athletic prowess and draft selection, but for his actions to stop the potential rape of a friend and college classmate.

After the 49ers chose Arkansas linebacker Dre Greenlaw in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the father of a fellow Arkansas student tweeted a story about Greenlaw and an incident involving his daughter.

In a series of tweets, Gerry Dales described how Greenlaw came to his daughter's aid at a college party when the two were freshmen, when an unknown man slipped something in her drink and tried to leave the party with her.

Dales said Greenlaw, who had been friends with Dales' daughter since high school, knew she was in trouble.

"Dre was also a freshman. And he knew my daughter from high school. And he did *not* know the guy who was all over her." Dales tweeted. "And when that guy tried to steer my daughter out the front door, he stopped the guy and said 'she's not going anywhere.'"

Dales noted that getting involved also placed Greenlaw at considerable risk.

"He was a starter on the Razorbacks. His place was not secure. He was underage and at a kegger. He wasn't drinking, but if there was a fight he was risking getting thrown off the team. In some ways, he was risking everything," said Dales. "And he risked it for my daughter. The guy backed down, and no one saw him again. No one at the party seemed to know who he was, and my daughter and her friends never saw him again."

Dales said he never told the story before, because he feared someone would say Greenlaw shouldn't have been at the party. "Maybe not. But he had my daughter's back, and for that I will always owe him," said Dales.

Dales finished his thread with a request for everyone reading his tweet thread.

"So, do me a favor. Root for Dre. He's a good kid with a good heart."

Greenlaw, the 148th pick in the NFL Draft, was selected after the 49ers traded linebacker Dekoda Watson to the Denver Broncos for the pick.

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