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SAN FRANCISCO - Days after a brazen shooting, San Francisco 49ers Ricky Pearsall was seen at practice with the team on Thursday afternoon.
The rookie wide receiver was seen on the field with a football in his hand, though he was not dressed in practice gear, unlike his fellow teammates.
"Ricky saying stuff… like, ‘I still think I could play versus the Jets.' Those are the things he's talking about…I think each day just to actually relive that and what his family had to go through…I think that's tough for him or anybody. When that adrenaline goes away, that becomes a much bigger deal," said 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan about Pearsall being present at practice.
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Pearsall was shot in his chest Saturday afternoon in a robbery gone wrong in Union Square in San Francisco.
"I saw the video that everyone else saw of him just walking through but at that time he had no idea if he was going to be alright. He’s the toughest person I know," said Shanahan.
Shanahan also said Pearsall was able to FaceTime with the team shortly after the shooting and that brought much-needed relief to his teammates.
"Obviously, the Ricky situation, thank God that he’s even alive with us today. I mean that was an insane situation. So happy he’s back here around the building with us," said 49ers Linebacker Fred Warner.
"That was amazing. With the situation that happened and him just being able to be still be kind of normal at the time. Then the following day…you know, the man’s just a soldier," said 49ers Wide Receiver Deebo Samuels.
The shooter, only identified as a 17-year-old from Tracy, was charged with attempted murder in addition to assault with a semiautomatic firearm and attempted second-degree robbery.
Authorities said the minor tried to rob the 49er of his Rolex and was caught within a minute of the shooting.
According to police, the teen did not target the 23-year-old athlete in Saturday's shooting.
The teen's attorney said he regrets the incident overall and is "very sorry."
"He’s very sorry, genuinely, that this did happen, as is his family," said Bob Dunlap, the minor's public defender.
Dunlap also said his client was also shot by his own gun in his left arm.
Pearsall was released from the hospital the following day.
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His mother shared on social media that the bullet missed vital organs.
A surgeon previously gave his opinion on how soon Pearsall could start playing for the team again.
"In the chest, there are a lot of important structures; heart, lungs, major vessels, so it all depends on the path of travel of the bullet once it enters the chest," David Spain, a trauma surgeon with Stanford Hospital said.
Spain shared that if the bullet pierced Pearsall's lung, the situation would've been much worse.
"I think if he’s released this quickly maybe he has some broken ribs, and then it’s really a question of pain control and returning to normal activities," Spain said. "I wouldn’t be surprised to see, given the situation, someone back on the field in a couple of weeks."
Pearsall joined the Niners during the NFL's first round as the 31st pick.
Since joining the team, he has suffered other injuries, including issues with his hamstring and shoulder.
He began his college career at Arizona State University and finished it at the University of Florida for his final two seasons.
The 49ers are scheduled to face off the New York Jets on Monday at Levi's Stadium.
Pearsall is expected to appear at the season-opener game, but will not play then, or the next few following games after being placed on the Physically Unable to Perform roster following the shooting.