Delanie Walker has fueled conspiracy theories that an electrical substation beside the 49ers training facility is to blame for San Francisco’s injury crisis, with the former tight end claiming there were even concerns it could cause cancer.
George Kittle became the latest 49ers star to be sidelined after he tore his Achilles tendon against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Over the past decade, San Francisco has been plagued by injuries and there are theories that electromagnetic field (EMF) waves are affecting players.
The Silicon Valley Power Mission Substation sits next to the 49ers’ Santa Clara base and it’s claimed the EMF waves can damage tendons and cause soft-tissue damage.
The theory has gathered momentum in the wake of Kittle’s Achilles injury and now Walker has poured fuel on the fire.
The tight end was drafted by the 49ers 2006 and remained in San Francisco until 2012. He claims there were concerns over the substation back then.
San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle tore his Achilles tendon against the Philadelphia Eagles
‘That’s been an issue since I’ve been there – they talked about moving that electrical substation because when I was there,’ he told the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast.
‘It was said that it was giving people cancer… so then they pushed it back a little bit and just took some of it away.’
He added: ‘You can even feel it sometimes – I don’t know what it is – you can feel the energy. And then a transformer exploded one day we were at practice.
‘That s*** sounded like a f***ing bomb went off. I was like: ‘This is dangerous” but they’re not going to move it.’
There are trees near the substation and Walker this week insisted: ‘Everything dies where the power station is.’
The retired tight end, 41, claimed that research was done into the possible impact of the site but that players were given guarantees that the practice facility is safe.
‘They would start telling us: this may cause cancer, this is a study they’re doing. They had doctors coming up there,’ he said.
‘We may have signed something, I’m going to be honest,’ Walker continued. ‘I heard they were like: “Oh it may make your ligaments weak” and I’m like: ‘God Damn, that’s crazy.’ And then when I saw the picture I thought: We practiced right there too. that’s the craziest s*** ever.’
