Former NFL wide receiver Reche Caldwell shot dead at age 41 in Tampa
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Reche Caldwell, the former University of Florida and NFL wide receiver, was fatally shot Saturday night in Tampa, his hometown.
Caldwell’s mother, Deborah, did not return phone messages left by the Associated Press on Sunday, but she confirmed her son’s death to the Tampa Bay Times.
She said police told her they believe her son was ambushed outside his home in a possible robbery attempt.
Caldwell, 41, was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round in 2002. He spent six seasons in the NFL, finishing with 152 catches for 1,851 yards and 11 touchdowns.
His best season came with New England in 2006. He was Tom Brady’s top wide receiver that season, with a team-high 760 yards on a Patriots team that reached the AFC title game.
Caldwell was awaiting sentencing this month after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He also served time on a 2014 drug charge.
• Ken Riley, the former Cincinnati Bengals defensive back who was head coach and athletic director at his alma mater, Florida A&M, died Sunday. He was 72. Riley played 15 seasons for the Bengals and had 65 career interceptions — fifth in NFL history — for 596 yards and five touchdowns, all franchise records. Before his NFL career, Riley was a four-year starter at quarterback for the Rattlers.
• John Zook, who teamed with Pro Football Hall of Famer Claude Humphrey to give the Atlanta Falcons a dynamic combination at defensive end in the early 1970s, died in his native Kansas after a long bout with cancer. He was 72.
elsewhere
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FILE - In this Dec. 31, 2006, file photo, New England Patriots wide receiver Reche Caldwell (87) catches a pass for a 62-yard touchdown ahead of Tennessee Titans cornerback Reynaldo Hill in the third quarter of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn. Caldwell, the former University of Florida and NFL receiver, was fatally shot Saturday, June 6, 2020, in his hometown. Caldwell's mother, Deborah, did not return phone messages left by The Associated Press on Sunday, but confirmed her son's death to the Tampa Bay Times. (AP Photo/John Russell, File)
lessPhoto: John Russell / Associated PressFILE - In this Dec. 31, 2006, file photo, New England Patriots wide receiver Reche Caldwell (87) catches a pass for a 62-yard touchdown ahead of Tennessee Titans cornerback Reynaldo Hill in the third quarter of
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FILE - In this Dec. 31, 2006, file photo, New England Patriots wide receiver Reche Caldwell (87) catches a pass for a 62-yard touchdown ahead of Tennessee Titans cornerback Reynaldo Hill in the third quarter of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn. Caldwell, the former University of Florida and NFL receiver, was fatally shot Saturday, June 6, 2020, in his hometown. Caldwell's mother, Deborah, did not return phone messages left by The Associated Press on Sunday, but confirmed her son's death to the Tampa Bay Times. (AP Photo/John Russell, File)
lessFILE - In this Dec. 31, 2006, file photo, New England Patriots wide receiver Reche Caldwell (87) catches a pass for a 62-yard touchdown ahead of Tennessee Titans cornerback Reynaldo Hill in the third quarter of
... moreFour German teams
kneel before games
Four more Bundesliga teams took a knee before their games Sunday. Before Wolfsburg beat Werder Bremen 1-0, the teams kneeled in an anti-racism gesture following protests against police brutality and racism across the United States over the killing of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man, in Minneapolis May 25.
Union Berlin and Schalke, whose American midfielder Weston McKennie was the first in Germany to protest last week, knelt ahead of a 1-1 draw. The referee and his assistants joined in.
Borussia Dortmund and Hertha Berlin had knelt ahead of their game Saturday.
Fighting: Conor McGregor has announced his retirement for the third time in four years. The 31-year-old Irishman revitalized his combat sports career in January with an impressive first-round stoppage of Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at UFC 246.
• Junior lightweight contender Mikaela Mayer (12-0) tested positive for the coronavirus and won’t fight Tuesday in the co-main event of Las Vegas’ first major boxing card since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Basketball: Green Bay hired a men’s head coach in Will Ryan, the son of former Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan. Will Ryan, 41, went 14-13 in his lone season as the head coach at Division II Wheeling in West Virginia.