SANTA CLARA — A mustachioed man, further obscuring his face with sunglasses and a black baseball cap, appeared midway through the 49ers‘ first practice of training camp.
Once the cameras were gone, he walked to midfield, where he stood and observed, sharing a few words with general manager John Lynch and greetings with a handful of key players.
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It was Kyle Shanahan.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, shown in a file photo before his horrific crash, made a brief appearance Sunday at training camp. AP
“I told him he had a great disguise with the sunglasses on,” said linebacker Fred Warner, one of the veterans to stop by and catch up with the coach on the practice field.
Twelve days since he sustained severe injuries in a car crash near his Los Altos Hills home, the 49ers head coach made a brief cameo as his team went through 11-on-11 drills.
He only emerged after the portion of practice open to photos and videos.
While assistant head coach Chris Foerster ran practice with the rest of the coaching staff, Shanahan watched from afar before retreating from the summer heat after 30 minutes or so.
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Offensive lineman Trent Williams said he wasn’t surprised “at all” to see his coach despite the extent of the injuries he suffered less than two weeks earlier.
The California Post’s cover on Kyle Shanahan’s car accident.
“I knew it’d be tough to keep him away,” Williams said. “It’s gonna be hard for him to get his rest. He’s not that type of person.”
Besides a cast on his left hand, Shanahan looked no worse for the wear. According to ESPN, he received 40 stitches on his face, broke his nose and blackened both his eyes. He also broke multiple ribs in the accident that took place with one other car July 14.
But in his brief appearance at practice, the cast was the only visible sign of the lasting effects. He did not walk with a noticeable limp, nor did there appear to be any serious scarring on his face.
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“He looks good. It was good to see him out there. He seems to be in great spirits,” Warner said. “I know he can’t stay away. I know he’s given up his duties for a little bit, but that guy’s obsessed with ball. Of course he’s going to be around.”
Shanahan was expected to be “limited” in his duties during training camp, primarily from the lingering effects of the concussion he suffered in the crash, according to Lynch.
It remains to be seen how involved Shanahan will be, or when he will be able to resume his normal role.
“Whatever that involves between the doctors, the trainers and Kyle, I’m really not too familiar with how that’s going to go,” Foerster said. “Having him on the field today was awesome.”
