Ricky Pearsall’s comeback in his rookie season was truly remarkable. After being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers at the end of the first round, the sure-handed pass catcher was eager to join an elite WR room. But tragically, he was shot during an armed robbery attempt at Union Square just days before the Niners’ first game of the season. Just 50 days after being shot, Pearsall made his debut. And it didn’t take long for him to experience his ‘welcome to the NFL’ moment after that.
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Pearsall was thrust into action in his first game against the Chiefs (Week 7) as a replacement for Brandon Aiyuk, who got injured. The next week, he got the start against the Dallas Cowboys and had a respectable performance, catching four balls for 38 yards and ripping his only rush for 39 yards. But it was then that Pearsall experienced the moment of induction.
“It goes back to that Cowboys game. There was a linebacker that hit me so hard, bro,” Pearsall explained on Cleats & Convos with Deebo Samuel. “He hit me so hard when I caught the ball… I’m talking like as soon as he hit me I hit straight ground. Like, he hit me hard. I got up, and I was dizzy… I got up and was trying to find the huddle. That’s how dizzy I was.”
The hit came about at the beginning of the second quarter. Pearsall ran a slant and caught his third pass of the day for an 11-yard gain. It was then the hit was delivered by another rookie, Marist Liafau, the third-round pick out of Notre Dame. Though it could have been even worse, Liafau squared up and delivered a hit that was nothing short of punishing, and only Pearsall truly knows the full impact of the hit.
Pearsall claimed that was his welcome to the NFL moment. Although, it’s a bit ironic that it was triggered by another rookie also having his own moments. Regardless, it was a memorable story, and the 2024 season has been a solid one for Pearsall. His numbers might not jump off the page, but coming back after being shot in the chest and playing in the NFL is admirable, to say the least.
Pearsall finished the season with 31 receptions for 400 yards and three scores. He experienced a bit of a lull for a month from the end of November to the start of December. But most rookies hit a wall in their first season. Coming back and showing that he’s capable of performing was all that he needed to do in his rookie year. After all, being shot is no joke.
Pearsall was exploring his new stomping grounds downtown when the shooting occurred. The shooter, identified as a 17-year-old boy, was attempting to steal Pearsall’s watch and a struggle over the gun ensued. Ricky was shot in the chest but managed to wrestle the gun away and return fire, wounding the perpetrator. Heroic response times from trauma teams managed to transport both to the hospital and save both lives.
It’s an insane story that Deebo’s co-host mentions is a “welcome to the NFL moment in and of itself.” Today, though, Pearsall forgives the person who shot him. He also mentioned that he wants to meet them and learn more about their situation and who they are as a person — a mature response to a near-death experience.
