Ricky Pearsall’s recovery has been nothing short of miraculous, but a recent revelation from Kyle Shanahan makes it seem like divine intervention was definitely at play.
The San Francisco 49ers rookie wide receiver was shot in the chest last Saturday afternoon, the victim of a daring robbery attempt after participating in an autograph-signing session near Union Square.
The would-be robber, a 17-year-old, also sustained injuries during the incident. They were both hospitalized, with the latter remaining in police custody.
Pearsall was fortunate in that the bullet missed his vital organs. He was back in the gym just two days later and would probably play this weekend if the Niners dared allow him to.
Shanahan discussed the wideout’s progress with reporters this Thursday, revealing that the entry wound was right below a tattoo on Pearsall’s chest bearing praying hands.
“Once everyone walked in, no one knew the exact story so I was able to reassure everybody as soon as they got there that he was totally fine,” The San Francisco head coach said during a press conference. “It’s a miracle. Where he got shot is like two inches below his tattoo with praying hands. The whole story is kind of amazing.
“But to tell everyone right when they got there, it was really cool. And then about two hours later, Ricky got on [FaceTime] and talked to everybody.”
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You can see the tattoo in the photo below:
Ricky Pearsall Is Set To Miss At Least Four Games To Start The Season
Ricky Pearsall will miss at least the first four games of the season, with the Niners handling him with care after his near-fatal ordeal. The team placed him on the reserve/non-football injury list this week.
Still, the first-round pick was on the practice field just five days after the incident, interacting with teammates and throwing footballs around.
“He’s as tough a person I know, just going through a situation like that,” Shanahan added. “We always felt this way watching him on the football field and things like that. But to watch how he handled that situation and watch how he’s been every day since, it shows how special of a guy he is.”
