by How the 49ers are supporting Williams and Ward through unthinkable tragedies, originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Tragedy once again struck the 49ers organization as the family of Trent Williams announced Monday the deaths of his stillborn son, and previously, his twin sister.
Coach Kyle Shanahan was emotional as he shared that the All-Pro left tackle spent time with his family to grieve last week following the family’s Nov. 24 loss.
“He did a little bit of that last week,” Shanahan said of Williams’ absence at the facility, with a slight crack in his voice. “Something happened last week and he was at the hospital with her and was able to meet him and say goodbye. And then he had to cremate her on Friday, so he had to deal with that and he’s working on it. But we’re all trying to be there for him through it all.
Shanahan believes that players who are around each other during these incredibly painful events can offer each other much-needed support. Even though it is difficult, they often find comfort in their brothers.
“When you have to deal with tragedies like this, it’s hard as a coach, it’s hard as a friend, it’s hard as a family member, it’s hard for everyone,” Shanahan said. “But we spend a lot of time with each other, and that’s the cool thing about being on a football team.
“Whatever you’re going through, good or bad, we’re going through it together. I like that they have that, that they have a group of guys to go to, a group of guys that could see them every day. And you can never escape that heartbreak, but I think it’s good for these guys to have another way to get out on the football field, get around their teammates and things like that.
A little over a month ago, on October 29, 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward announced the death of his nearly 2-year-old daughter, Amani Joy. Ward spent several weeks away from the facility grieving his family, missing three games.
Shanahan was proud of Ward for returning to the field Sunday, for what it meant emotionally.
“I thought Mooney took a big step forward this week, just from a personal standpoint,” Shanahan said. “When something like that happens, you don’t really want to get back into anything. You kind of have to cope. And I was really proud of his fight this week.
“Even though it was hard and I’m sure he didn’t always want to do it, but he got through the week of training, got through the game and I think it was a real step for him to ‘move forward in your life. And that’s the thing that everyone has to do in these situations, but it’s nice when you have a group of guys that you’re with every day and that you’re close to that can help you. help get through this ordeal.
Williams, who missed two games with an ankle injury, is still rehabbing to return to the field. Shanahan hopes it will be sooner rather than later, but it will depend on how Williams’ body responds to the treatment.
“Trent is really trying to get back here,” Shanahan said. “His ankle is not healing the way we would like. We can’t reduce the swelling, that’s why I would like to say it’s day to day, week to week, because we expect the swelling to go down and that’s just not not the case.
“We’re trying to be patient with it. I know he’s patient with it. I hope it takes a turn in the right direction this week, but it hasn’t yet, so there are no guarantees.
No matter the level of grief and emotion, Shanahan stressed that there is still work to be done on the ground, as in any industry. As people go through the ups and downs of life, it is expected that they will eventually return to work, no matter how heavy the burden of loss may be.
“You have to do it,” Shanahan said. “That’s the challenge. There’s a lot going on in life, but everyone has a job to do, and so you have to respect those challenges. You have to respect what people are going through, but you also have to help bring them together to do their jobs. And we are a team that counts on everyone. »
The 49ers will return to the practice field Wednesday after taking Tuesday off to rest and rehabilitate in preparation for their next game in a few days.
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