NFL assistant Knapp hurt in ‘horrific’ crash
Former 49ers and Oakland Raiders assistant coach Greg Knapp was hit by a car while riding his bicycle in San Ramon in a “horrific” crash over the weekend.
Knapp, who is a New York Jets assistant, was struck at about 3 p.m. Saturday. He was hospitalized and was in critical condition Tuesday, said Lt. Tami Williams of the San Ramon Police Department.
The driver involved is cooperating with the investigation, Williams said in a statement. A preliminary investigation showed drugs or alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the crash.
The nature of Knapp’s injuries was not immediately known, and Williams said in an email she couldn’t release other details.
The 58yearold Knapp, who lives in Danville, was hired by the Jets in January as part of new head coach and former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s staff, serving as the pass game specialist. Among Knapp’s primary roles is to help develop quarterback Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall draft pick.
“Greg is such an amazing individual, it is hard to imagine the challenge facing him and his family,” Saleh said in a statement released by the team Tuesday. “Greg’s fun nature, kind disposition and wealth of knowledge has allowed him to make genuine connections with all of our coaches, players and staff since he has been here.
“I ask that you keep him in your prayers as we all pull for him to recover from this horrific accident.”
Knapp’s family also released a statement Tuesday through the Jets.
“Greg is an amazing father and husband whose passion for life can be felt in all his interactions with people,” the family said. “He is our rock and biggest supporter, pushing us to all strive to better ourselves each day with constant love and inspiration.
“While many know him for his achievements as a coach, his impact as a father and husband are far greater. We are so fortunate to have him in our lives. We are sincerely thankful to all those who have continued to reach out and provide support — it has meant the world to us.”
Knapp is wellliked and respected in NFL circles and has established himself as one of the league’s top offensiveminded coaches. After a nineyear stint as an assistant at Sacramento State, where he also played quarterback, Knapp got his first NFL job with San Francisco in 1997 as an offensive quality control coach under Steve Mariucci. He was promoted to quarterbacks coach two years later and became the 49ers’ offensive coordinator in 2001.
Knapp joined Jim Mora’s staff in Atlanta as offensive coordinator in 2004, and he served in the same capacity for Oakland (200708 and 2012) and Seattle (2009). He has also had stints as the quarterbacks coach for Houston (201011), Denver (201316) — where he helped Peyton Manning set singleseason passing records in 2013 — and most recently the Falcons (201820).
Knapp is expected to have a key role in helping offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and quarterbacks coach Rob Calabrese teach and develop Wilson as the 21yearold QB adjusts to NFL life as the likely starter for the Jets this season. Knapp called Wilson a “fast study” and was looking forward to helping him progress.
“He’s done a good job of minimizing mistakes,” Knapp said of Wilson last month. “You’ve got to expect mistakes from anyone who’s starting for the first time — in any profession, for that matter. And I’m seeing very minimal same mistakes twice. So he learns quickly from his mistakes, and that’s impressive to see from a young guy. He’s a bigtime student of the game.”