O.J. Murdock kills himself at his former high school, police say
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[url]http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/30/us/florida-murdock-suicide/index.html[/url]
[img]http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120730060312-o-j-murdock-death-story-top.jpg[/img]
[quote=CNN]O.J. Murdock, who signed with the NFL's Tennessee Titans last year, killed himself Monday morning in front of the Tampa, Florida, high school where he was a track and football star, police said.
Murdock, 25, never played a game in the NFL because he had been sidelined with an injury since signing as an undrafted player a year ago.
"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," the Titans said in a statement. "He spent the last year battling back from an Achilles injury as he prepared for this year's training camp."
Titans head coach Mike Munchak, in his daily briefing with reporters Saturday, was asked why Murdock, a wide receiver, had not reported to training camp.
"He had some personal things come up," Munchak said. "He called us, and we're hoping to see him tonight."
Murdock was placed on the "did not report" list over the weekend, but he was still on the roster, team spokesman Robbie Bohren said Monday.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as they try to cope with this tragedy," the team statement said.
A Tampa police officer found Murdock "in his car in front of Middleton High School with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound" at 8:30 a.m. Monday, a police statement said.
He died two hours later at Tampa General Hospital, police said.
Murdock was ranked among the top football players in Florida and the nation in 2005 when he was a senior at Middleton High School, according to his biography on the Titans website. He was also a star sprinter on his school's track team.
His college career started at the University of South Carolina, but he transferred to Fort Hays State after playing in just four games as a freshman and being redshirted. He then moved to Pearl River Community College, where he was a criminal justice major.[/quote]
It's awful that he's gone and killed himself but has anyone considered just how poor of a career choice being a football player is?
He was just so young and could have grown up to be a million different things and he's ended his life so early because he physically couldn't do his 'job' which is more of a form of entertainment.
I can't help but feel something is something deeply wrong with the way things work when I read stories like this.
[QUOTE=Lebowski;37005838]It's awful that he's gone and killed himself but has anyone considered just how poor of a career choice being a football player is?
He was just so young and could have grown up to be a million different things and he's ended his life so early because he physically couldn't do his 'job' which is more of a form of entertainment.
I can't help but feel something is something deeply wrong with the way things work when I read stories like this.[/QUOTE]
He could've made millions if he just waited it out. I wouldn't kill myself over one small little thing, but unfortunately, he did, which is saddening.
[QUOTE=wickedplayer494;37005848]He could've made millions if he just waited it out. I wouldn't kill myself over one small little thing, but unfortunately, he did, which is saddening.[/QUOTE]
not really. not every football player makes millions and is set for life. this guy was an undrafted ho hum player who appeared constantly injured. that does not equal a million dollar price tag
[QUOTE=God of Ashes;37005935]not really. not every football player makes millions and is set for life. this guy was an undrafted ho hum player who appeared constantly injured. that does not equal a million dollar price tag[/QUOTE]
True, but if you stick through it, there's a high chance of success.
[QUOTE=RichyZ;37005882]not really a poor career choice, just a cautious one
one big injury and you're fucked
but if not, you're a millionaire congrats[/QUOTE]
hard to be cautious when you have massive muscular men trying to destroy you
[QUOTE=wickedplayer494;37005848]He could've made millions if he just waited it out. I wouldn't kill myself over one small little thing, but unfortunately, he did, which is saddening.[/QUOTE]
Mabye it's just me, but I think there is just a tiny bit more then just "one small little thing" going on in his life.
Could just be me tho.
[QUOTE=ItsMozy;37005947]Mabye it's just me, but I think there is just a tiny bit more then just "one small little thing" going on in his life.
Could just be me tho.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, for all we know, he could've had a case of depression that he decided (unfortunately) not to seek help for.
[QUOTE=wickedplayer494;37005941]True, but if you stick through it, there's a high chance of success.[/QUOTE]
the average NFL career lasts only 3 years. not really a high chance of success
[QUOTE=God of Ashes;37005969]the average NFL career lasts only 3 years. not really a high chance of success[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I guess you're right.
Popping your Achilles tendon is a major injury, it puts you out for the year. If he slacked off at all in rehab it could have put him in a situation where he wouldn't be ready to compete for a spot this year, which would effectively end his career.
That could be what depressed him.
[QUOTE=Lebowski;37005838]It's awful that he's gone and killed himself but has anyone considered just how poor of a career choice being a football player is?
He was just so young and could have grown up to be a million different things and he's ended his life so early because he physically couldn't do his 'job' which is more of a form of entertainment.
I can't help but feel something is something deeply wrong with the way things work when I read stories like this.[/QUOTE]
Yeah what a poor career choice, you carry around a ball and make more money in 1 or so games than doctor's and lawyers make in a year.
[QUOTE=Clementine;37006652]Yeah what a poor career choice, you carry around a ball and make more money in 1 or so games than doctor's and lawyers make in a year.[/QUOTE]
Anyone who thinks that all NFL players are just instant millionaires and set for life after 1 year really need to stop talking about things they know nothing of.
The odds of actual life-long success from professional football are so ridiculously low that it is a pretty all-around awful career choice. How is this so hard to figure out?
[QUOTE=Clementine;37006652]Yeah what a poor career choice, you carry around a ball and make more money in 1 or so games than doctor's and lawyers make in a year.[/QUOTE]
Yeah except so many football players can hardly make their taxes because the system is screwed and they typically don't know how to spend their money; it isn't a lifetime career either and the chance of life threatening or crippling injury is high.
Yeah you go ahead and tell me otherwise.
[QUOTE=Clementine;37006652]Yeah what a poor career choice, you carry around a ball and make more money in 1 or so games than doctor's and lawyers make in a year.[/QUOTE]
yeah and every time you step on the field you have a chance of never walking again. and hey after that extremely long 3 year career where you made enough money to support your family, you can look forward to your body slowly deteriorating. and hey now that you're retired, you can also look forward to living half the average life expectancy in the United States
He obviously had more wrong with him than just an Achilles injury.
[QUOTE=God of Ashes;37006913]yeah and every time you step on the field you have a chance of never walking again. and hey after that extremely long 3 year career where you made enough money to support your family, you can look forward to your body slowly deteriorating. and hey now that you're retired, you can also look forward to living half the average life expectancy in the United States[/QUOTE]
Every time a doctor works he has the chance of killing someone, ruining a family, and causing great depression upon himself and many others if he fails
You tell me, which is more difficult?
[QUOTE=Clementine;37007521]Every time a doctor works he has the chance of killing someone, ruining a family, and causing great depression upon himself and many others if he fails
You tell me, which is more difficult?[/QUOTE]
i'm not comparing or demeaning the work of a doctor. you're the one making it seem like being a professional athlete is a walk in the park. so, no, how about you tell me which is more difficult and why
[QUOTE=Clementine;37007521]Every time a doctor works he has the chance of killing someone, ruining a family, and causing great depression upon himself and many others if he fails
You tell me, which is more difficult?[/QUOTE]
You're comparing someone who saves lives every day to someone who accrues far more injuries just trying to get a ball a couple of yards.
Doesn't matter which is more difficult; we were talking about which was an actual life-long career that doesn't have a 99% chance of leaving you physically and probably mentally crippled from a head injury.
It's like comparing an apple and an elephant; emotional and mental stress and trauma is an entirely different beast from a life-long debilitating physical injury caused by a job that's for pure [I]entertainment.[/I]
[QUOTE=Lebowski;37006841]Yeah except so many football players can hardly make their taxes because the system is screwed and they typically don't know how to spend their money; it isn't a lifetime career either and the chance of life threatening or crippling injury is high.
Yeah you go ahead and tell me otherwise.[/QUOTE]
Oh man it must suck to get hurt or something, not like regular people get hurt or anything, and its not like they have all that protective gear, or are gigantic muscle men anyway or anything. It must suck being hurt, but i mean...you know, ruining other people's lives, possibly even killing them, or worse, leaving them deformed, paralyzed, or just plain in a terrible position is nothing compared to being hurt
[QUOTE=Clementine;37007521]Every time a doctor works he has the chance of killing someone, ruining a family, and causing great depression upon himself and many others if he fails
You tell me, which is more difficult?[/QUOTE]
If you think about it, same thing happens with Defense lawyers in murder cases.
Whoever rates this dumb considers themselves very depressed. This man's life would of been changed if he had not found the wrong way in his life. R. I. P.
[QUOTE=Clementine;37007820]Oh man it must suck to get hurt or something, not like regular people get hurt or anything, and its not like they have all that protective gear, or are gigantic muscle men anyway or anything. It must suck being hurt, but i mean...you know, ruining other people's lives, possibly even killing them, or worse, leaving them deformed, paralyzed, or just plain in a terrible position is nothing compared to being hurt[/QUOTE]
Yeah, people get hurt but these are people crippling themselves for our entertainment; your argument is about someone who could possibly cripple someone else while trying to save their life?
What reality and argument are you in?
[QUOTE=Clementine;37007521]Every time a doctor works he has the chance of killing someone, ruining a family, and causing great depression upon himself and many others if he fails
You tell me, which is more difficult?[/QUOTE]
There's no comparison. A doctor can work into his or her 60s or 70s at least, barring unexpected health issues. A thirty or forty year career is to be expected. All the time collecting a steady and known salary WITH benefits. When they retire they retire with no more health issues than any other typical person.
Football(US) players? IF you make it to the pros: You will be done before you hit 40, no matter how good or healthy you are. On average, you'll be done in four years. Since you're out of college at 22, this means typical players are done well before they hit age 30. What you get paid is not guaranteed. Large signing bonuses and guaranteed money do get handed out, but not to the average player. Your job is not stable, you can be let go or replaced at any time. While you work, the nature of your job is to risk catastrophic physical and mental injury at all times. Once you retire, you can expect the rest of your quality of life to be limited by the injuries you suffered, even decades after you last played(if you live that long). That million dollars a year you made for four years, awesome wasn't it? Yeah, minus taxes and agent and attorney's fees, it doesn't seem like all that much compared to what doctors make does it?
Especially since that doctor is still making that money twenty years later, between rounds of golf, while you're hobbling around on two replaced knees trying to make a few dollars signing autographs somewhere.
Also, if you think about it, there are quite a few people who start playing football very early on in life, even as early as elementary school, to get on the high school football team, to have a chance at playing university football, which funds their education specifically so they can play football, which in turn could lead to a career in the NFL and millions of dollars and fame.
An injury like this, especially if he managed to cock-up rehab, could be devastating, physically and mentally. It seems like he was preparing for football his whole life and didn't have a backup plan for if he couldn't attain it. He even was set if he couldn't continue in football: He had a criminal justice major.
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