Former NFL wide receiver Reche Caldwell was shot and killed in Tampa on Saturday night.
Caldwell’s mother Deborah told TMZ that Reche, whose real name is Donald, was getting ready to take his girlfriend on a date when he went back inside his home to grab a jacket. Caldwell’s girlfriend says Reche was “ambushed” by a couple of people who jumped out of the bushes and were trying to rob him when he came back outside. He was shot in the leg and chest and died in an ambulance on the way to the hospital.
“He was a good person who smiled all of the time,” Deborah Caldwell told TMZ. “He tried to help everyone he could. He was the type of guy who would take his shirt off his back and give it to you.”
Caldwell played six seasons in the NFL for the then-San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots and Washington Redskins. He had his best year in 2006 with the Patriots, when he caught 61 passes from Tom Brady for 760 yards and four touchdowns. Prior to being drafted in the second round in 2002, Caldwell was a star at the University of Florida. He caught 65 passes for 1,059 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior in 2001.
Caldwell had multiple run-ins with the law after his playing career ended. He mocked himself a few years back for being a lousy criminal and getting caught.
