Police: Titans’ Murdock Found Dead From Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound

[mystery-ak]

http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2012/07/30/police-titans-murdock-found-dead-from-self-inflicted-gunshot-wound/

Police: Titans’ Murdock Found Dead From Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound
July 30, 2012 12:25 PM



TAMPA, Fla. (CBS Tampa) – Tennessee Titans wide receiver O.J. Murdock has died from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Murdock, 25, was found in his car outside his Tampa high school Monday morning in critical condition, according to Tampa police.

“At approximately 8:30 a.m., officers discovered the victim’s body in his car in front of Middleton High School with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the police said in a release. “He was transported to Tampa General Hospital in critical condition where he died at 10:43 a.m.”

CBS Sports reports that Murdock, a Tampa area product who signed with the Titans a year ago, was excused twice from practice this past weekend for “personal reasons.” Murdock didn’t play last year, spending the season on injured reserve after hurting his Achilles’.

“This is just surprise,” former Middleton coach Harry Hubbard told the Tampa Bay Times. “I don’t know if something else is involved or not. That just knocks me off my feet.”

The Titans organization confirmed Murdock’s passing in a statement.

“We are shocked and saddened to hear of O.J. Murdock’s death this morning,” the Titans said in a statement. “In his brief time here, a number of our players, coaches and staff had grown close to O.J., and this is a difficult time for them. He spent the last year battling back from an Achilles injury as he prepared for this year’s training camp. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as they try to cope with this tragedy.”

It’s a sad ending to a life and career that had seemed to have turned around. A standout high school player, Murdock committed to play for South Carolina in 2005. But Murdock was dismissed from the Gamecocks after two years when he was charged with grand theft. He wound up at Division II Fort Hays State, where he would recommit himself to the game. Last year, Murdock signed with the Titans as an undrafted free agent. He would never play a game for Tennessee.

[Chieftain]

This is so terribly sad for a 25 year old man to end his life this way.  We have a friend of ours whose son was picked up this year in the NFL draft at age 22, and when he hit his first training camp he had a near nuclear meltdown.  It was nothing like what he expected, it was radically different from the team environment he had in College and High School, and in the end he was emotionally unprepared for the major grind that competing in the NFL has become.  Many of these young players are under tremendous pressure to succeed and some have been raised on football at great expense by their parents on the premise that when Junior hits it big, so will Mom and Dad.

We'll likely never know what drove him to this terrible decision, but given the atmosphere surrounding football these days I think we can make some reasoned guesses.

[mountaineer]

That's an interesting perspective, Chief. I would guess that the money, fame, women, drugs, etc., that come with going pro are a lot more than many young men can take.