CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO- The moment he walks into the room, Alfredo Gutierrez takes you by surprise. Even if you already know the 6-foot-9 offensive lineman is the tallest player on the San Francisco 49ers, seeing him up close puts things into perspective really quickly. Yes, he's massive.

A man of such height on the football field is an intimidating, usually mean presence. However, inside the radio booth he enters while visiting his home country, Gutierrez is far from that. He's, well… the friendliest dude you can imagine. 

He greets everyone as if they're already friends and actively listens to people he's introduced to, including a radio host here or a politician there. 

How does somebody who goes from being a college standout player to one of just two born-in-Mexico players in the NFL stay so humble and easy-going? The short answer: His dad.

"He is to blame, he raised me like this," Gutierrez told Antena Deportiva Chihuahua, a sports radio show that's been on the air for over 20 years. "Why would I be any other way?" 

The answer comes while on the air as his dad joins him in the seat next to him. Yeah, you read that right. The 27-year-old towering offensive line brought his pops for the ride.

How many NFL players do that? Not many.

"He's almost always with me, when he isn't it's because I'm in San Francisco but I take him everywhere," Gutierrez says before adding jokingly: "Except when I'm with the ladies."

But Alfredo reveals the heartwarming reason why his father (who's not quite as tall as him but is easily the second-tallest person in the room, if you were wondering) is by his side as often as possible. 

"My dad brought me into this sports world, why not bring him into the experiences I've lived? I get to the hotel and tell him 'hey dad come to this so you know how it goes' or 'Come to the red carpet when we get to the parking lot (at the stadium)' or in this case to this trip to Chihuahua," Alfredo explains.

"He helped me to live these experiences, why shouldn't he be able to live them, too?"

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Entering his third year with the team under the International Player Pathway, Gutierrez knows there's pressure to prove himself. It's the last year that the 49ers can keep him on the practice squad without him counting toward the 16-man player limit. But he doesn't lack confidence in the face of the challenge. He understands how the game and Kyle Shanahan's offense work. 

But more than anything, he's adapted to everyday life in the NFL. 

"I know how to be a professional, how to deliver and finish tasks," Gutierrez says. "The years of me feeling overwhelmed or scared by all of these changes are gone and I think this year can be different."

He is already the proud owner of a game ball awarded to him by coach Shanahan in the 49ers' preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings last year. Even with one more year where can enjoy the benefits from the IPP's roster exemption as an international player, Gutierrez's goal is clear.

"With these two years of learning, I'm hoping I can land a spot in the 53."