SAN JOSE >> Deommodore Lenoir vividly recalls last season’s 49ers opener, when he was dazzling at cornerback and Robert Saleh was entering his final month as the New York Jets coach.

That is when they had their initial interaction, with many more to come as Saleh reprises his 2017-20 role as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator.

Lenoir, who broke in with the 49ers in 2021, reacted with trepidation upon learning in January that Saleh would be his fourth defensive coordinator.

“Initially, I was like, ‘Oh.’ I was kind of nervous. Because I had just screamed at him when we played the Jets,” Lenoir said Wednesday night, inciting laughter from the crowd at the fifth annual Dwight Clark Legacy Series in San Jose’s Hammer Theatre.

“I had made a play and I had screamed at (Saleh). I didn’t know if he was going to remember that. He did,” Lenoir added. “He brought it up in the first meeting (last month). It was funny, but he’s a very energetic person and the energy he’s already brought to the room, he’s put a lot of confidence to us in the secondary.”

Lenoir graciously accepted this year’s Dwight Clark Award on Wednesday night from George Kittle, the initial recipient in 2021.

Lenoir’s confidence has rarely waned in his four seasons, and the 49ers backed up their belief in him six months ago by delivering a five-year, $89 million contract extension.

Another example of Lenoir’s confidence came when he was asked by Wednesday’s co-emcee, Laura Britt, about what he was looking forward to this season. “Really, the Super Bowl,” Lenoir responded.

Still, Lenoir acknowledged that the 49ers must bring along “a lot of young guys” and embed them in their culture, which he insisted wasn’t destroyed by a 1-7 finish to last year’s 6-11 season.

“When you see D-Mo hitting people, getting interceptions, and talking smack to guys, that energy is infectious and everybody wants to bring that energy just like D-Mo does,” Kittle said. “He’s an inspiration to a bunch of guys on the team and an inspiration to guys and fans that watch him.”

Lenoir and Brock Purdy, in an unusual move, delivered pregame speeches before the 49ers’ final win last season, that coming in Week 14 against the Bears.

Lenoir, to no surprise, spoke glowingly Wednesday about Purdy locking in a franchise-record extension (five years, $265 million).

“I FaceTimed him but I knew he wouldn’t answer because he was getting a lot of calls. I let him know in the locker room he’s the greatest quarterback ever,” Lenoir said. “He went in there that Miami game (as a rookie in 2022) and he made the plays and I respected him so much for that, going in as the last pick in the draft and being able to take the team to the NFC (title game). A lot of quarterbacks wouldn’t do that.”

This season will be Purdy’s fourth, and Lenoir’s fifth.

One game already stoking Lenoir’s fire is a Thursday night affair at home in Week 5 against the reigning NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 2.

“It’s a division game, they’re like rivals, and they talk a lot,” Lenoir said. “For last year, we owe them double.”