Several San Francisco 49ers players spoke to reporters on Tuesday, sharing their reactions to the weekend incident in which their rookie teammate, Ricky Pearsall, was shot in the chest. Pearsall was the victim of an attempted robbery in San Francisco, spending Saturday night at San Francisco General Hospital before being released the next day.
Bay Area radio station KNBR posted a video featuring offensive linemen Trent Williams and Dominick Puni, wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, who shared their initial reactions upon learning about Pearsall's situation.
Many players initially struggled to believe the news and were heartbroken when they realized it was real. However, Pearsall's return to the team this week and his expected swift recovery offer a silver lining. General manager John Lynch even noted that Pearsall is expected to recover quickly enough to contribute this season.
"That just kind of shows how tough he is and his resiliency," fellow rookie Puni shared. "I think it's going to be a big [motivator] for the team this year, too."
Jennings added, "It just gives us strength, more fuel for the fire for this season."
You can listen to all of the comments in the video below.
49ers' Dominick Puni, Deommodore Lenoir, Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, and Trent Williams react to the Ricky Pearsall shooting, how they found out, their communication with him, and the fuel/motivation it adds to the fire. pic.twitter.com/M52uGOgtN6
— KNBR (@KNBR) September 3, 2024