Ricky Pearsall shares moment with first responders who saved his life before 49ers game

The first responders who helped save Ricky Pearsall‘s life after he was shot in the chest in an attempted armed robbery last month were recognized as the Frontline Heroes of the Game ahead of the San Francisco 49ers’ Week 1 home contest against the New York Jets on Monday.

Pearsall shared a moment on the field with Sergeant Joelle Harrell and Dr. Lucy Kornblith, taking a photo with both as they held up Pearsall signed jerseys.

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Ricky Pearsall embraces the first responders who helped save his life ❤️ pic.twitter.com/YBpVMcZBH2

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Pearsall, the 49ers’ first round selection (32nd overall) out of Florida, was shot at Union Square in San Francisco on Aug. 31. Pearsall’s mother, Erin, said in a Facebook post that the bullet exited out of her son’s chest and remarkably missed his vital organs.

The 49ers placed Pearsall on the reserve/non-football injury list, meaning he will miss at least the first four games of the season. Pearsall was back at practice Thursday watching his teammates prepare for Week 1 against the Jets.

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Ricky Pearsall continuing to recover from gunshot wound to chest

General manager John Lynch said “absolutely” when asked if Pearsall will play this season. Lynch added that Pearsall is coming along “incredibly quick” as he continues to recover.

“I think people saw some video [above video] yesterday of him twirling the ball around,” Lynch said this past week, via Niners Nation. “And three days ago, that wasn’t it. He was really holding that thing like it was immobile, the right side of his body. And so, he’s coming incredibly quick and really, miraculous outcome for something as scary as it was.”

Head coach Kyle Shanahan maintained they will not rush Pearsall back to action.

“I think [not rushing him back] is big,” Shanahan said. “Especially, I think, each day, the mental part becomes more of a big deal. The adrenaline and just surviving that. Ricky saying stuff, at first, that doesn’t matter like, ‘I still think I could play versus the Jets.’ Those are the things he’s talking about, and it’s just like, ‘Dude, what are you talking about? There’s other things.’

“But the adrenaline of all that. And then I think each day just to actually relive that and what his family had to go through for a couple hours, just flying out here, not totally knowing what the deal was going to be. I think that’s tough for him or anybody. When that adrenaline goes away, that becomes a much bigger deal. And that’s kind of what I mean by everyone kind of respecting that. Because we’d all be the same, and trying not to make him relive it as much as possible, but it’s really an unbelievable story.”