"I got to know those two very well. They handled themselves like coaches as players. And so because coach [Bill] Walsh kind of picked me out and sat me aside and talked to me about coaching and it worked, I try to do the same thing with current players," Lynn said. "I just helped plant that seed -- when you're done playing, that's something I think you should do. And I did that with Dan and Aaron Glenn.

"And I was actually going to sit this year out, but when they called, I had to go because I wanted to be a part of that. I knew it was going to be special."