The 49ers have a new ball boy at training camp, and head coach Kyle Shanahan wasn’t afraid to dish out criticism for the young man who struggled to field punts during Friday’s training camp practice.
Shanahan was asked about the ball boy’s performance during his press conference after the session.
“He’s got to work on his hands, that’s because his mom’s genes,” Shanahan said. The ball boy is his son, Carter. “It was funny. I saw him trying to catch punts and he wasn’t within 20 yards of one. So I told him I’d give him five dollars if he just touched one. And the last one he ran through and touched it and I think he almost broke his arm. He’s starting football next week. So trying to get him a little used to it.”
The head coach said Carter hasn’t chosen a position on the football field yet, although the former college receiver did offer WR as a recommendation.
Shanahan himself spent time around the 49ers as a ball boy when his dad, Mike Shanahan, was the offensive coordinator in San Francisco. He eventually went on to play receiver at the University of Texas before making his way into the coaching ranks. Whether his son follows in his footsteps remains to be seen, but he’s certainly starting out on the same track.