49ers teammates rejoice after Pearsall’s return to practice

SANTA CLARA — A couple of the veterans encouraged 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall to lead the huddle at the start of practice on Monday. Afterward, coach Kyle Shanahan did the same thing. He singled out Pearsall for the honor after his first practice since the scary incident of Aug. 31, when he was shot through the chest during an armed robbery attempt. "I saw him warming up and I just started smiling because I know how big of a factor he can be for this team," 49ers rookie guard Dominick Puni said. "But, more importantly, for his health and everything, it's awesome to see him out there after going through what he went through." Pearsall spent less than 24 hours in a San Francisco hospital following the shooting. The bullet fired by a 17-year-old male from Tracy from a semiautomatic Glock-23 entered through Pearsall's chest area and exited out his back, near his armpit, without striking any bones or vital organs. "It was definitely a surreal feeling when news broke out about it. It hit us hard," 49ers rookie safety Malik Mustapha said. "Thank God he's OK, and now he's able to play the game he loves." The 49ers opened the practice window for Pearsall, whom San Francisco placed...