“He still claims that he was quicker than me when he was playing so we go back and forth on that.” Ricky Pearsall said this about his father earlier this year. He also revealed how his parents have supported him in his football journey. But as many people are unaware of some interesting facts about Pearsall’s life, let’s take a look at how his life transformed the day his parents got divorced.

Ricky Pearsall was born on September 9, 2000, in Phoenix, Arizona, to dad Rick Pearsall Sr. and mom Erin Pearsall. However, his birth had been a scary moment for the couple, as it wasn’t normal. While describing the incident once, Erin recalled that in the early hours of September 9, her water broke unexpectedly at their Arizona State home. With no time to make it to the hospital, she ended up giving birth to Ricky on the bathroom floor.

Ricky Pearsall’s father, Rick, who had just finished his 24-hour shift as a firefighter, had rushed home in time to deliver his second child. So, while remembering that incident, Erin laughed and said about her only son, “It’s been a strong connection from Day 1. Let me tell you: he’s always been full of surprises. But good ones. Blessings, I will say.”

Besides him, the couple also has three daughters. While the family appears to have settled well now, a major setback in their lives came when due to unknown reasons, Rick and Erin got divorced in 2009. At that time, Ricky was just nine years old. Shortly after the divorce, all the kids lived away from their father and started to live with their mother Erin.

But that didn’t hold back the children from meeting their father, as Rick and Erin made sure to equally support the kids’ growth. Hence, they started taking care of their children separately, helping them in their personal and physical development. By profession, being a single mother, Erin worked as a real estate investor with more than ten years of expertise in the field. Despite Ricky’s football career, she didn’t stop earning till now, as she is currently employed in Tempe, Arizona, as a real estate agent. Apart from her, dad Rick too worked and supported Ricky.

But the interesting fact is, that Rick himself was a footballer who participated in sports as a young athlete. He even “went to Flagstaff High School and Northern Arizona University, and graduated in the Class of 1997.” So, it won’t be wrong to say that Rick’s profession has been the biggest source of inspiration for their son Ricky Pearsall to opt for football as his career and that too play as a wide receiver, just like his father.

Besides this, to support his family, Rick later joined a career “as a captain in the Phoenix Fire Department.” While talking about him, Ricky has nothing but praise for his dad, with the help of whom he has now become an NFL player.

Ricky Pearsall’s mother was a ‘supporter’ while his father was a ‘critic’

Soon after Ricky Pearsall was picked by the San Francisco 49ers in round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft, he was invited by hosts Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky on 95.7 The Game’s “Morning Roast.” During the podcast, he was asked about his father, especially because he too was a wide receiver in the football world at Northern Arizona.

So, in general, anyone would have answered this question with his father being one of his biggest supporters, but it was a bit different in Ricky Pearsall’s case. Rick Pearsall Sr. was a strong support system for his child, but he was also a “critic.” Probably, it was because he was Ricky Pearsall’s first football coach.

Talking about him and his own football journey in detail, Ricky expressed, “The coaching (from dad Rick) started as soon as I was able to catch a football. He still claims that he was quicker than me when he was playing so we go back and forth on that. He’s definitely my biggest critic for sure.” Giving an example of him being the toughest critic, Ricky mentioned that after every game, his dad floods his phone with long texts, full of feedback and critiques.

He also joked about how long the messages are, saying that you could scroll “for a solid five minutes.” Pearsall also highlighted that whenever his dad’s name pops up, he knows it’s time for detailed feedback and advice. So, on one hand, momma Erin Pearsall helped Ricky Pearsall in his physical and professional development by encouraging him in his career. On the other hand, his father, Rick Pearsall helped him to overcome every battle of his life as a strict teacher and a coach.