However, the once promising professional athlete is now paralyzed from the waist down and was forced to have his left leg amputated after being shot 14 times. Collier’s tragic turn occurred just five days before the start of the 2008 NFL season.
During the early morning hours of Sept. 2, Collier and ex-teammate, Kenneth Pettway, were ambushed at an apartment complex while waiting for two women they met at a nightclub. According to Dr. Andy Kerwin of Shands Jacksonville hospital, Collier sustained wounds to the back, left groin, and one bullet severed his spinal cord.
While too many professional athletes have been ridiculed for their lack of responsibility, Collier’s incident reflects the incessant violence that continues to affect blacks across the nation.
“The situation with Collier makes you think carefully about where you go,” says Mike Adams of the Cleveland Browns. “But it also goes to show that something can happen even if you’re just in front of your home. We just have to take better precautions and observe our surroundings. My prayers are definitely with him and his family.”-amir shaw
