- 9 minutes ago
Willard and Dibs listen to Kyle Shanahan address the media for the first time since his car accident, react to his seemingly imminent return to the sideline, discuss some important injury concerns, and more.
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00:00This is Kyle Shanahan. He finally had a press conference, felt up to it over the weekend, and it was
00:06very educational, both in terms of football, but also the accident that led to all of this.
00:13So here it is. Here's a portion of what Kyle Shanahan shared with the media over the weekend.
00:19So, guys, you guys probably surprised to see me. I was upset with practice.
00:23Saw Clay getting ready. Went to talk to him. He's getting ready for this. I told him I'd do it.
00:27So go ahead.
00:28What kind of improvements have you noticed?
00:31I'm doing real good. My body feels good. Just got to get this annoying cast off. My ribs feel good,
00:37except when I sneeze.
00:38And my head feels so much better. Concussions do linger a little bit. No.
00:42The only things I really deal with now is just headaches and fatigue, but that's why I'm not always exactly
00:46on the same routine, but pretty damn close.
00:48Did you get your first day out there, I think, without shades?
00:51Yeah, but it's not lights that bother me. I had to wear shades to protect scars and stuff, but I
00:56got all my stitches out so I can put tape over now.
00:58And so the tape protects it.
00:59Give a percentage of what you're able to do as opposed to when you're all the way back.
01:05I think about how much percentage you guys give media. How much percentage you give media?
01:10Oh, that's a big percentage.
01:12Well, that's 0%. As far as the important stuff, I feel it's about 100%.
01:18The biggest thing I've learned with this stuff is just when you deal with fatigue and headaches and stuff is
01:24if I kind of do everything, I kind of pay for it in some ways later.
01:27That's the routine I found out.
01:29So I've really tried to eliminate stuff that I would say just the fake work stuff, which is a big,
01:37important thing.
01:37But talking to the media, having to break down the team every day, doing stuff like that, I've kind of
01:42taken it a little bit easier on.
01:43Because one thing, I haven't missed anything of film.
01:46I watch every single play with the coaches after, with the players.
01:50I have had a few team meetings. Normally I do it every day, but I do lose a little when
01:54I do stuff like that.
01:55So I've just picked and choose a little bit more.
01:57But as far as the film and everything, being out there for all the practice periods of going against each
02:02other, those are, to me, the most important things in my job.
02:04And I've been able to do those every day.
02:06Did your attention to coach the first preseason game next week, or is that still kind of TBD?
02:09Oh, yeah. No, I'm doing the same stuff, guys.
02:11I just, I try not to come in here every single day, because I feel if I did, that would
02:16take, I want to be able to pull off my normal routine,
02:19which is watching hours and hours of tape and getting to the walkthrough at night, being able to watch stuff
02:24after that.
02:25Eventually I will get there.
02:26I would have told you I was there seven days ago, and they're like, just chill, wait to see how
02:29you feel tomorrow.
02:30And then I wake up the next morning, I'm like, damn, I'm glad I didn't say that,
02:32because sometimes it's a good day, and then sometimes the next day is a little bit harder.
02:36But as far as the stuff that I think is the most important parts of my job, I've been doing
02:40that since day one.
02:41You've been such a grinder for so long.
02:42Is it weird having a bit of an abbreviated schedule for yourself?
02:45It is. I mean, I was a little insecure about it at first.
02:47I mean, I've been a guy, like all of us are, that we can be deathly sick and we're still
02:52insecure to go home.
02:53So that's kind of just how we are.
02:55So it was hard on me.
02:56But when I saw kind of the results of some of it, it became easier.
03:00What people tell you is kind of right.
03:01I was like, yeah, all right, I'll be able to tough through that.
03:03And you kind of can't tough through anything.
03:05But then when you pay for it the next day and you're not as good as something else,
03:07you start to be like, all right, I didn't have to tough through that because it made me worse the
03:10next day.
03:11So those are things I've had to learn a little bit to be better at.
03:13I was in there the other day.
03:15Kyle, are you mad at yourself for getting in the situation?
03:18Yeah.
03:19I mean, any time you cause an accident that can be avoided, you'd feel pretty stupid.
03:23I mean, especially when you have a chance to hurt someone else.
03:25I mean, I think you get mad when you get a ticket at yourself.
03:28So it was kind of the same, you know, things that I think everyone's done to a degree what I've
03:32done,
03:33you know, dropping a phone and falling all the way to my back seat where I have to fully take
03:36my eyes off the road.
03:37You know, it's something that I normally want to do.
03:39I've had autopilot for nine years, so I'm pretty comfortable with it.
03:41And it knows what happened when I turned around, whether it malfunctioned or whether I knocked it off.
03:45That's something I don't know yet.
03:47But regardless, that's, it is always your fault.
03:49Whether you're an autopilot or not, you can't take your eyes off the road.
03:52It's a partnership driving.
03:54You don't just turn it over to a computer.
03:56And it's a good lesson on no matter how comfortable I am with that,
03:59that I believe someday could save my life or someone else's.
04:03Or it's really helped me have perspective on that stuff.
04:05Returning to coaching in games and noise tolerance, will you still be on the sidelines?
04:11Yeah, like I answered all the questions earlier, that was, I mean, like the first couple days out of practice.
04:16And depending on what side I was standing on, and, you know, ACDC hurt a lot more than some smoother
04:21hip-hop.
04:22But I think those days are over.
04:23You know, no noise doesn't bother me like it was.
04:25I actually have two symptoms, I feel like, and that's headaches and fatigue.
04:30And that's all I'm feeling right now.
04:32Can you speak a little bit about the support that you received from Raheem and Clay and Chris throughout this
04:37process and some of the veterans that stood up?
04:39Yeah, that's actually been the easiest thing for me.
04:41You know, like, when I had it, like, I would have, you know, I would have been shocked if I
04:46wasn't able to come here and be able to do everything.
04:48I didn't really, it was my first concussion.
04:50I didn't really realize how long they would last.
04:52They gave me dates, and I kind of laughed.
04:53They don't give you dates, but they tell you how long to prepare.
04:55And I'm like, yeah, there's no way that it'll last that long.
04:58So I was actually surprised.
04:59And it's what they told me from the beginning, so I won't be surprised again.
05:03But, like, each day, just watching our building, all our coaches, starting with Chris, to Clay, to Raheem, to Brant,
05:08to everybody.
05:09Everyone upstairs, our players, it made it really easy for me not to worry about me having to do something.
05:16Our guys are awesome.
05:17We have a pretty well-oiled machine.
05:19We've been here for our 10th year.
05:21And those guys made it very easy for me to not do anything stupid.
05:25Will you change your perspective at all on when players are dealing with concussions and they haven't gone through it?
05:30Yeah, no doubt.
05:31You know, I've been told so much by these guys, don't compare sports concussion to an accident like this.
05:38And I'm starting to realize that now.
05:40But, yeah, just little things, like when they label things, like whether it's severe or mild, and you hear someone
05:45has a mild one, I'm like, oh, all right.
05:47Well, it might be one game, but usually that's two.
05:49And then you just kind of learn those are just words.
05:52Each one's a little bit different.
05:53And I definitely can relate to how scary it is when you don't know if you will throw a ride
05:58again.
05:58But it's definitely made me more educated on it.
06:01Usually I just listen.
06:02Tell me when, okay, and I move on.
06:04But I understand it a lot better and what guys got to go through and the protocol to get back,
06:08which is not a protocol for me on paper.
06:10But it's really cool to be in a building that kind of majors in that type of profession that knows
06:16what to do with those things.
06:17So all the people that I need help from, it was already built in here.
06:21And they got a lot of experience with it.
06:22And it's been really good for me.
06:24Is there a certain thing that you knew you had to do that kind of proved that you were back
06:28or were very close?
06:29The team meeting maybe you heard about?
06:31The team meeting was a big step for me.
06:34You know, it was just the concussion stuff just was weird.
06:36Like, you just feel just more emotional and stuff.
06:38People don't take this the wrong way, but I joke with my wife.
06:41I'm like, no, it feels like you're in menopause.
06:43Like, it just is different.
06:44And you're emotional and things.
06:46So it was different to, like, get in front of groups and things like that.
06:48But once you do that and you get past the hard parts of it, it becomes pretty easy.
06:52You just got to get back to getting used to it.
06:54The main things of getting over it.
06:55I thought after my first team meeting, I was like, perfect.
06:58I'm out of the woods.
06:58I'm good.
06:59And felt good most of that day.
07:01But then it hit me real bad that night.
07:03And then the next day, and I was like, all right, maybe I don't want to do that every day.
07:06And that's kind of how everything's gone on this.
07:09And I can't tell you guys how close it is.
07:12I'm getting there.
07:12There's no doubt I will be there.
07:14From what I do with the team, I kind of already feel there.
07:17Is this session that you're having with us now part of your goal to kind of push yourself as much
07:24as you can?
07:25Definitely.
07:25I mean, that's why they tell me not to plan anything.
07:29That's why, like, yesterday, a few, it was like a week ago, I'm like, guys, I'm doing media tomorrow.
07:34And then I was so glad they didn't tell you guys because I woke up the next morning.
07:37I'm like, there's no way I can do it right now.
07:39And then I didn't tell anyone today.
07:41But then I just felt like doing it.
07:43And I want to do it.
07:44I want to get back to fully 100% being normal.
07:47And, unfortunately, this is part of 100% being normal.
07:51Did you decide that this morning or was it even during practice?
07:53It was more during practice.
07:54It was actually more when I was trying to tell Clay about practice and he was ignoring me getting ready
07:58to talk to you guys.
07:59I was like, oh, I'll go do it.
08:00I got it right now.
08:01Other things do you now realize that you can delegate, but you haven't been able to do, that maybe it's
08:06worth delegating in the future, that, okay, I don't need to do so many things?
08:10Ah, yes.
08:11But I've also done a lot more of that in the last few years than people realize.
08:13Last year, I didn't call one play in preseason.
08:15You know, I don't always call plays out on the field.
08:17I've started most of that since Clay's gotten here.
08:19You know, it's been nice to not have to go to staff meetings.
08:22You know, like we've had some staff meetings where we just go over injuries and stuff and things like that,
08:26which I'm always at.
08:27And, you know, I've missed those so I could actually focus on a few more film things.
08:30So that's been good.
08:31And just knowing that if you didn't even come and you just watched a practice, that it's going to go
08:36pretty much the same as if you were there.
08:37You know, you don't know that until you see it.
08:39And that's why I can't speak highly enough about all the guys around here.
08:42Does the concussion impact your ability to watch film?
08:45Does it bother you after a lot of film watching?
08:48I did more at first.
08:49You know, I've never had vision issues and stuff, but it's always just I'm usually a guy who doesn't get
08:53that overstimulated.
08:54I can handle a lot of things.
08:56And now you just when I do too much film at first, I kind of have to take a little
08:59more breaks and make fun of me because I never get bathroom breaks.
09:02And now I kind of do.
09:03Halfway through, I tell the coaches to go out.
09:05I take like 10 minutes and just relax my eyes a little bit and made it easier.
09:08But I haven't done that probably in the last five film sessions.
09:11So it just shows how much better I'm getting.
09:13And that's why I believe that whenever you use words, it can be way off.
09:15But I feel like most of the concussion part to me is almost gone, except just fatigue and headaches.
09:20But being overstimulated, things like that, it's I'm doing a lot better at.
09:23All right, guys.
09:24Appreciate it.
09:25All right, guys.
09:25Thanks.
09:26OK, thanks.
09:27There it is.
09:27That's Kyle Shanahan.
09:28And that was largely almost exclusively either about the accident or even more of it.
09:34It was just about him, right, like how he's doing, how he's able to handle certain situations again.
09:40By no stretch, is it is it perfect?
09:42And it's probably never going to be the way it was again, because it sounds like he's made some changes
09:46in terms of how he wants to go about certain things in the process, maybe updating them, maybe making them
09:53a little bit healthier for him and the other coaches around him and whatnot.
09:56But I do think that this press conference had, even though he didn't say it, there was an overarching theme
10:03that I think we can at least reasonably arrive at this conclusion.
10:11Kyle Shanahan will be coaching in Australia when the 49ers play the Rams.
10:17Right.
10:17He'll be coaching this week when the preseason actually kicks off.
10:21Right.
10:21But of course, won't be calling plays.
10:23And I mean, the full Monty win in Australia against the Rams.
10:28Kyle Shanahan is going to be good to go.
10:30No doubt.
10:30And I do think that it's interesting to hear him talk about the fact that he never had a concussion.
10:35And so he's thinking, you know, they tell him it's going to be this amount of time.
10:38And he's like, no, it won't be.
10:39And then here we are now, what, three or four weeks into it.
10:42And he still is not 100 percent.
10:44He still has, you know, headaches and fatigue.
10:47And those are kind of the last stages of what he's trying to go through to get all the way
10:51back.
10:51And so I just wonder how severe the concussion was, because normally you have an athlete,
10:56you get concussed and you're in the protocol and maybe it's a week and you come back.
11:00And this has now been a month.
11:02And so he still is going through everything he's going through.
11:05So I wonder just how severe it must have been.
11:08Yeah.
11:08But then again, also remember athletes and the way that they're wired.
11:11In other words, if an athlete had a concussion like Kyle is experiencing right now, would he pass the protocol
11:18and play?
11:20He might.
11:21That's actually, now that's a question for one of those independent neurologists.
11:25Right.
11:25I would love to know the answer to that.
11:27We all just go, yeah, protocol.
11:29And then you got to do this.
11:31And then you got to do this.
11:33And then you can play.
11:34But we don't really know what that means.
11:36Does that mean symptom free?
11:38Yes.
11:40And how do you track that?
11:42That's the part of it.
11:43So it's symptom free.
11:45But are you being honest?
11:46Like players are not honest with their symptoms.
11:48Exactly.
11:49As a high school coach, a former high school coach,
11:51I had a guy on my volleyball team who actually had a history of concussions.
11:55And he took a down ball to the head and he got concussed in practice.
12:01It was his third concussion.
12:02And so he had to go through every day like, you know, are you symptom free?
12:06And you can't take the next step until you are actually able to do that.
12:10But to your point, like if you're a pro football player and they ask you, yeah, are you like, are
12:15you dizzy?
12:16Do you have a headache?
12:17And you're dizzy and you have a headache, but you say no, then you can go ahead and, you know,
12:22take the next step.
12:23Because how are they going to tell if you're dizzy or not?
12:24Yeah, I didn't know.
12:25Honestly, with the technology they have now, I didn't know if there's a way to track these symptoms beyond just
12:32the words of the participant.
12:34I don't know.
12:35Right.
12:36Maybe there is.
12:37I have no idea.
12:38But that would be a weird fight.
12:40Someone's like, the machine says you're dizzy.
12:43Right.
12:43But I'm not.
12:44I don't think there's a dizzy machine.
12:46But the machine says you are.
12:46Right.
12:47I think it's more about like, you know, can you actually go through it now if you're vomiting, then, yeah,
12:53clearly you're not over the concussion or, you know, if Kyle Shanahan's unable to, like, make it through a full
12:59practice.
12:59And he's like, yeah, the smooth hip hop is good.
13:02But the ACDC was, you know, kind of giving me problems.
13:05It's like, yeah, you still are going through it.
13:07Yeah.
13:07Yeah, absolutely.
13:08And then there were football answers for sure.
13:11There were football answers that weren't just about the concussion and his health and sort of how he's handling all
13:17of these situations.
13:19Right now, the top question is about Nick Bosa, who I think missing his fourth consecutive day.
13:25But this is what Shanahan said about Nick.
13:27You know, he was doing great.
13:28And then he got sore just going through some of the individuals.
13:31So, I mean, you wish that didn't happen.
13:32But, no, there's no concern to where something's happened that it's a big setback or anything.
13:36But we'll wait until the soreness goes away and evaluate and why the soreness has happened.
13:40But I still feel pretty good about that.
13:42Okay.
13:43Like, right now, I would say this is across the board.
13:46And then you all get to decide whether they're telling the truth or not.
13:50But they are saying that a large number of the injuries, and in particular the ones to the big names,
13:59because McCaffrey sat out today.
14:02Mike Evans has been sitting out for a while now.
14:06Nick Bosa is sitting out.
14:08And the 49ers are largely saying that just about all of this is precautionary.
14:14And that they're just, anytime there's anything, they are going to play this conservative.
14:21I don't know what's obviously going on inside these guys' bodies.
14:27But the Niners are at least publicly expressing very little to no concern with regard to those big names who
14:34are sitting out.
14:35Right, and it makes sense when you look at exactly what they're doing in terms of camp.
14:40And they've made a little bit of a tweak where they actually have a jog-through day now,
14:44where it used to be, you know, you go hard, you go hard, you go hard, you take a day
14:48off.
14:48And now it's a couple of hard practices, a jog-through, and then one more hard practice, then an off
14:54day.
14:54And so I do think that the staff, whether it's Kyle Shanahan or John Lynch or the medical team,
15:00they're all trying to look at what we all talk about, which is why are you hurt so much more
15:05than most other teams?
15:06And that might be a myth, it might be the reality, but I do think that they're trying to figure
15:11it out.
15:11Well, he was actually asked, is this a normal thing for camp, what you're looking at right now?
15:17It feels pretty normal, give or take three. I think it does happen a number of times in camp.
15:22We also have a number of guys coming into camp that didn't go on pup that we weren't trying to
15:27throw back in there right away.
15:29And that stuff's always frustrating in camp. That's why you sometimes want it a little bit longer.
15:33The thing that frustrates you the most is when you lose a guy.
15:37There's one guy like that right now, which we've had to grieve for a little bit,
15:40and then you've got to figure out how to adjust and move on from it.
15:43By the way, he's obviously speaking of Ricky Pearsall, and he had more to say about losing him.
15:48I mean, losing Ricky was a real big deal.
15:49You know, we've had a number of injuries in camp, but that's really the only one that's actually been not
15:53just a camp injury.
15:55And losing a player like Ricky is a huge deal. It ties to everybody.
15:58So you'd hope for struggling, you'd hope for Mike, you'd hope for that whole group.
16:03A lot of people have to step up, but no one here is wired exactly how Ricky is.
16:07They're all a little bit different, so you do lose a big part of what we were planning on.
16:10And that's where guys do have to step up.
16:11That's what gets frustrating when guys like dribbling, you know, tweaking muscle and stuff,
16:15because, yeah, you want guys to step up, but you've got to train them to do it.
16:18They've got to work to do it, and they've got to be out there to be able to do it
16:21at an NFL level,
16:22which is coming real fast.
16:23Okay, so, I mean, to listen to him talk, it sounds like, and he said, you know,
16:28give or take two or three or whatever, but, you know, I'm only judging this right now
16:35because we're sort of triggered by it,
16:36and I'm looking at things that are happening at other camps around America right now.
16:41I know we're hypersensitive to it.
16:44It does feel pretty normal.
16:46It feels like, you know, there's a lot of teams that are missing guys
16:50and being conservative with veteran name players, et cetera, et cetera.
16:55The Niners have lost one player for the year.
16:57There are a lot of teams who have lost multiple.
17:00I mean, Washington lost their left tackle yesterday for most of the season, at least.
17:05That's monstrous.
17:06No doubt.
17:07It's a monstrous loss for them.
17:08And you lose Ricky Pearsall, and that's not nothing,
17:11but you drafted a guy, and you brought in Mike Evans,
17:14and you've got Kirk and Robinson, and you brought back Debo,
17:16and so I do think that a 49er team that doesn't use their wide receivers a ton,
17:22maybe they'll use it more if they have better ones,
17:24but I do think that McCaffrey would be bigger, Trent Williams, Brock Purdy, obviously,
17:29Fred Warner, and I don't want to list all the players who I think would be more
17:33devastating to lose ahead of Ricky Pearsall because I don't want to undermine Ricky's impact,
17:37but there are more important people that you still have.
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