49ers’ Ricky Pearsall scores his first NFL TD, two months after being shot in the chest

Ricky Pearsall is back and on the board.

Just two months after he was shot in the chest on the streets of San Francisco, the 49ers’ rookie receiver scored the first touchdown of his NFL career on Sunday.

The result gave the 49ers an early 7-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Pearsall showed the speed that made him a first-round draft pick in April to get to the end zone.

On second-and-5 from the San Francisco 46-yard line, Brock Purdy looked to Pearsall, who was throwing a pass across the middle of the field. Pearsall caught the ball at a weak spot in the Tampa Bay zone near the 30-yard line and then outran three Bucs defenders on the way to the end zone.

Antoine Winfield Jr. gave chase near the goal line, but was unable to stop Pearsall just short of the end zone.

The 49ers selected Pearsall with the 31st pick in April’s draft out of Florida.

On September 1, Pearsall was shot in the chest during a suspected attempted armed robbery near Union Square in San Francisco. He had been to an autograph session with fans in downtown San Francisco.

The bullet missed Pearsall’s vital organs and he was released from the hospital the day after he was shot. Four days later, Pearsall showed up at 49ers practice.

Pearsall started the season on the reserve/non-football injured list and missed the first six games of the season. He returned to make his NFL debut in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs and entered Sunday having caught seven passes for 59 yards in two games.

Now he has his first NFL score. And he has the potential to be a difference-maker for a 49ers team in the midst of the NFC playoff race.