Today is Ricky Pearsall’s birthday and he’s celebrating it by honoring the people who came to his rescue during his dark time. Though he is not playing in the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Jets game, he’s there on the sidelines, cheering for his team. However, he’s not alone and was joined by the frontline workers who saved his life.

The Niners’ recent Instagram post captioned, “Ricky Pearsall invited Sgt. Joelle Harrell and Dr. Lucy Kornblith to tonight’s game to be honored as our frontline heroes,” shows the receiver taking a picture with the SF Sergeant and the doctor. They had huge smiles on their faces as they held up Pearsall’s jersey on the sidelines.

Another photo showcased the 49ers receiver hugging the police officer but that’s not nearly the complete picture of the meetup. The last picture in the slide captured Sgt. Harrell holding a 49ers helmet, every inch of which was occupied by the signatures of the 49ers’ players. Merch might not be enough to pay Sgt. Harrell for what she had done for Pearsall and the 49ers.

The announcers at Levi’s Stadium understood the assignment when they gave the sergeant and the doctor a shoutout in front of millions of people. “Sergeant Joelle Harrell is a San Francisco native who has been policing in San Francisco for over 30 years. She and her husband, Sergeant Frank Harrell, were actively involved in the passionate fans at Candlestick for over 20 years. She takes pride in protecting and serving her community.”

Sergeant Harrell made sure to attend to Ricky Pearsall at the time of the shooting and made sure that the injury from the bullet didn’t exacerbate. She used Pearsall’s shirt to create pressure on the wound so that he wouldn’t bleed and the chances of air entering inside were minimized. The rest was taken care of by Dr. Lucy Kornblith, who also got recognition amongst millions.

“Dr. Lucy Kornblith is an associate professor of surgery at UCSF and a trauma and acute care surgeon at Zuckerberg San Francisco General and Trauma Center. She is proudly married to Dr. Aaron Kornblith and is the mother of Juda. She is grateful to be a part of the team at Zuckerberg San Francisco General and Trauma Center that provides life-saving care to injured and critically ill Bay Area patients,” said the announcer on the speaker system.

Obviously, the rookie receiver might have to wait for some time before he sets foot on the field to make his NFL debut.

What’s next for Ricky Pearsall?

It has been a while since the tragic incident horrified the football fans, Pearsall, and his family. Now, he feels ready to step on the field and play his heart out. However, he’s on the Non-Football Injury list and will be missing at least 4 games as a precautionary measure. But it’s not just the physical aspect of the injury the Bay Area receiver must deal with, it’s also the mental state.

Kyle Shanahan doesn’t want Pearsall to exert himself despite the player’s desire to play against the Jets. “I think each day the mental part becomes more a big deal, you know, the adrenaline and just surviving that,” Shanahan said. “Ricky’s saying stuff … like, I still think I could play versus the Jets. It’s just like, dude, what are you talking about?”

It might be a week or two before Pearsall officially starts his rehab, but some reports mentioned earlier that he was already at the gym lifting weights. It speaks for the commitment that the receiver has towards the 49ers, himself, his family, and the game of football.