The 49ers selected USC guard Chilo Rachal with their second-round draft pick, 39th overall.
Rachal started 21 games in three years at Southern California before electing to come out as a junior.
Speaking from his home in Compton shortly after receiving word he is now a 49ers offensive lineman, the California native said he would have liked to finish out his senior year at USC in order to pick up his degree, but that a medical concern with his mother prompted him to declare early.
"My mom had a tumor in her stomach and doesn't have insurance," said Rachal. "I pretty much had to do what was best at the time."
Rachal, who lost two of his brothers to street violence said he's always tried to do what's best.
"I had a rough upbringing, but I was always the one in the family that made the right decisions," said Rachal. "I don't know the full details because one was killed when I was born, and the other was killed when I was eight. I guess they were out doing something they had no business doing."
As for his mother, Rachal said she's doing much better now as she receives shots to shrink the tumor in hopes of avoiding surgery, and her son is thankful that playing for the 49ers will keep him just a few hours from home.
"My mom and dad will be able too drive a little five-hour drive, and come see the games," said Rachal. "Yeah, I'm very happy. I kind of stay close to home. Very happy."
As a junior, Rachal picked up All-American and All-Pac-10 Conference first-team honors despite missing three games after he suffered right knee ligament damage in the Washington game. He posted 80 knockdowns when healthy, leading the way for an improved rushing attack that averaged 197.2 yards per game, compared to 128.0 yards the previous season.
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