NFL Player Ricky Pearsall Reflects on Being Shot

Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall has become a valuable contributor for the San Francisco 49ers, but the second-year player was simply thankful to be alive after a terrifying incident in 2024.

Last August, just months after the 49ers selected him in the NFL Draft, Pearsall was shot during an armed robbery near San Francisco's Union Square. While speaking to ESPN, Pearsall discussed his thoughts after being shot and what he reflected on while injured.

"My adrenaline was rushing. I didn't feel, really, much pain at all. It was just more of like a burning sensation," the wide receiver said.

"I'm very religious. I'm a Christian. I just didn't know if I was going to go to heaven or hell. I definitely thought about my family ... not knowing if I was going to tell my family I love them again."

Wide Receiver Describes the Incident

Pearsall says that he saw someone walking toward him while he placed shopping bags into the back of his car. After signing autographs earlier in the day, he initially assumed the person was a fan.

"Then, I analyzed the situation and was like, 'OK, this guy doesn't really look like a fan at all.' He was in all black, hoodie on, and he obviously had his gun out immediately," Pearsall said.

The suspect had a physical altercation with Pearsall before shooting him in the chest and running away. After running from the receiver, the-then 17-year-old was arrested.

Pearsall says he remembered losing a great deal of blood, and that San Francisco Police Sergeant Joelle Harrell arrived on foot to help him. Harrell had been in the area patrolling on foot, and noticed an injured Pearsall.

Pearsall Received Help at the Scene

"I had a sense of relief when I saw Joelle, for sure, when she patched me up," the 49ers player said. "We just took a moment to just breathe and pray and hearing her voice telling me I'm going to be OK, and just to be strong."

Pearsall noted that he appeared calm in a video taken at the scene, but revealed how he felt internally.

"I may have looked calm, but really I was freaking out," he said. "In my mind, it was like, 'Let's get a move on.' Like, 'Let's get on the stretcher, let's get to the hospital.'"

Pearsall was taken to the hospital in serious but stable condition, and the bullet entered his chest and exited through his back. Just 50 days after being shot, Pearsall would make his NFL debut. He caught three passes for 21 yards in his first game, and ended his first season with 31 receptions, 400 yards and three touchdowns.

"I want to live a happy life," Pearsall said. "Reality is, I am here. I'm alive. A lot of good people around me. I shouldn't be freaking out about certain things, holding myself back from the moments that I could be where my feet are at and enjoying my life."