Former NFL player Donald 'Reche' Caldwell shot dead in Florida at age 41

Image Credits: Twitter/@Taeler_Hendrix

Former National Football League (NFL) star Donald 'Reche' Caldwell of Florida was shot dead at his hometown of Tampa recently. He was 41-year-old at the time of his death.

Caldwell's mother confimed the news of his son being shot and killed when he was getting ready for a concert at Whiskey North in Carrollwood.

The police had informed Caldwell's mother that his son was reportedly shot by assailants who jumped out of bushes in a possible robbery attempt.

“He was set up.I’m going to follow it all the way to the end. ... You get killed right here in your hometown? You made a statement here, and y’all just took it away from us?” Caldwell’s mother, Deborah told the Tampa Bay Times.

Tampa police, who responded to the call about a shooting just before Caldwell was found, said that the incident “does not appear to be a random act”.

The police officers found Caldwell with a gunshot wound in the yard of a home on the 3600 block of East Hanna Ave before a fire-rescue crew took the NFL star to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Caldwell began his professional career when he got selected by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He appeared in 47 games in four seasons.

Subsequently, Caldwell moved to the New England Patriots where he played for a year before he featured one year each for Washington Redskins and St. Louis Rams.

In his six-season NFL career, the Florida star appeared in 71 games and made  152 receptions for 1,851 yards and eleven touchdowns.

Caldwell was awaiting sentencing this month after he pleaded guilty to drug charges along with charges involving gambling. In 2014, he was arrested for drug possession and intent to distribute.