Ricky Pearsall's NFL journey has been anything but ordinary. The rookie wide receiver, drafted in the first round by the San Francisco 49ers, endured a life-altering setback before even taking the field. On August 31, Pearsall was shot in the chest during a robbery attempt, sidelining him for the start of the season.
Since being activated from the non-football injury list on October 19, Pearsall has played in three games. His breakout moment came on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he recorded his first career touchdown and a personal-best 73 receiving yards.
"It was a huge moment. It really was," general manager John Lynch said on Bay Area radio station KNBR Friday morning.
Pearsall has accumulated 132 receiving yards this season and is beginning to hit his stride. For Lynch, the rookie is now showing flashes of the talent that made him the 31st overall pick in April.
"I always like watching the process," Lynch shared. "People always say with a rookie, 'When did it click?' But to me, Ricky looked like the guy we thought we were getting, drafting him. Not that we were ever disappointed, but I think the combination of his legs getting underneath him, him being a little clouded, learning the offense because he hadn't had the chance.
"It just look last week like, 'Man, all right, this is the Ricky Pearsall that we thought we were getting.' And man, he's even more."
The 49ers are counting on Pearsall to step up in the absence of star wideout Brandon Aiyuk, who is out for the season with a torn ACL and MCL. Given Pearsall's resilience and early flashes of brilliance, Lynch is confident the rookie can meet the heightened expectations.
"What a great kid. What a mentally tough kid," Lynch said. "What a physically tough kid, what he's endured. And I think he's just so grateful to be alive, to be out there on the football field. He's loving every step of it. I think he's a guy we're just going to watch get better every day right before our eyes. And he's going to be a really good football player for a long time for us."
You can listen to Lynch's entire interview below.