07/28/26 03:45:00
Printable Page
07/28 15:43 CDT 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan takes blame for the crash that left
him with a concussion
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan takes blame for the crash that left him with a
concussion
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) --- San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan took the
blame for the car crash that left him with a concussion and other injuries,
saying he took his eyes off the road to reach for his fallen cell phone before
hitting another vehicle.
Shanahan crashed into a 21-year-old woman driving in the other direction in
Palo Alto on July 14 and was left with a concussion, broken ribs, a broken nose
and broken left hand and stitches for a large cut above his right eye. Shanahan
was briefly hospitalized following the crash and hasn't been able to coach the
team at the start of training camp. The other driver suffered minor injuries
and did not need to be hospitalized.
Shanahan spoke to a small group of reporters on Tuesday for the first time
since the crash to explain what happened from his vantage point.
"I was going 20 miles an hour," Shanahan said. "I was not on my phone, but I
dropped my phone, and it was stuck in my seats. It was on my lap, and it slid
off, and I went down to look for it, and took my eyes off the road for two
seconds, and as I was coming up, the air bags hit me in my face."
Police filed no charges in the crash.
Shanahan has been unable to run the team or practice since training camp
started on Saturday with assistant Chris Foerster in charge with assistance
from coordinators Raheem Morris, Klay Kubiak and Brant Boyer.
Shanahan has come out for portions of the first two practices to watch
alongside general manager John Lynch. He said he is not bothered by the
sunlight but loud noises like the music at practice are still an issue.
Shanahan said he has made considerable progress and expects to make a full
recovery. The 49ers have said that Shanahan is going through a similar protocol
to the one used for players after a concussion and will resume coaching when he
is recovered.
Shanahan is entering his 10th season as 49ers coach and is one of the most
highly regarded coaches in the game for his offensive acumen. San Francisco has
made two trips to the Super Bowl under his watch following the 2019 and 2023
seasons and made two additional appearances in the NFC title game in the 2021
and '22 seasons.
Shanahan has a 91-72 record in the regular season and playoffs for the 49ers,
ranking third in franchise history in wins behind George Seifert (108) and Bill
Walsh (102).
The team overcame significant injuries last season to finish 12-5 in the
regular season and win a playoff game as Shanahan finished fifth in voting for
the AP NFL Coach of the Year.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
|
