SANTA CLARA, California. (AP) — Ricky Pearsall’s first season with the San Francisco 49ers never truly took off. Persistent injuries sidelined him for nearly the entire training camp, and shortly before the season began, he was shot in the chest during a robbery by a 17-year-old in San Francisco. Pearsall endured the shooting and returned to the field for the last 11 games, but couldn’t fully demonstrate the skills that led to his first-round selection by the Niners. “I simply felt like I was at a disadvantage,” Pearsall stated. “I enjoy claiming that I jumped out of bed and began running routes because I almost did.” A gunshot wound can’t truly be rehabilitated. I pretty much got up and began running routes during Week 7. … Starting from Week 7 and continuing, that became my training camp. “Those activities in-between, prior to the games, served as my training camp, in my opinion.”
Pearsall quickly influenced the game upon returning to the field, scoring a 46-yard touchdown reception in a Week 9 victory against Tampa Bay. He then managed to catch just two passes in the subsequent five games as he found it difficult to integrate consistently into the offense.
