The San Francisco 49ers are squaring off with the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 54. This will be the first NFL game since the tragic and untimely death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant (amongst others) in a helicopter accident.

That means this is the first time any NFL players will get the chance to honor Bryant on the field. And that's exactly what San Francisco wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders will be doing, using his cleats to do so.

Bryant is one of the greatest players in NBA history. He inspired an entire generation of fans, athletes and dreamers.

There is so much about his will, determination, attitude and more that people will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Due to that, it's not very surprising that so many people want to pay tribute to the man. Sanders is using the biggest game of his career to show his love for Bryant.

And he's doing so with cleats and a quote. The quote is Bryant talking about doing whatever it takes to win. And it's something that a lot of athletes have used for inspiration. Bryant was good at that, inspiring people to want to win, to want to be the best versions of themselves.

It's what Kobe Bryant called the “Mamba Mentality”.

If the 49ers want to win, they will need Sanders to unlock his Mamba Mentality and be the best version of himself. When Emmanuel Sanders is at that level, he's one of the better receivers in the NFL. He could certainly help San Francisco in a major way as they look for yet another Super Bowl trophy for the franchise.

Don't be surprised if Sanders goes the route of all the NBA players that have been paying tribute to Bryant, and goes off on Sunday.