O.J. Murdock Of The Tennessee Titans Apparently Commits Suicide: Police

O.J. Murdock, a Tennessee Titans wide receiver, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound this morning in Tampa, Fla., according to multiple media reports citing police sources.

Police found Murdock in a car in front of Tampa’s Middleton High School, the school from where had graduated in 2005, at about 8:30 a.m., and he was taken to Tampa General Hospital where he later died.

Murdock was ranked number 10 in the country as a high school senior at the wide receiver position. He played part of one season at the University of South Carolina followed by two years at Fort Hays State. According to The Big Lead, Murdock was “suspended from the [South Carolina] Gamecocks indefinitely after being arrested for shoplifting.”

ESPN reports that Murdock “was signed by the Titans as an undrafted free agent a year ago, and spent the entire 2011 season on injured reserve after suffering a right Achilles injury. Murdock did not report to training camp over the weekend.” The Titans had placed Murdock, 25, on the “did not report” list yesterday because of what the team reportedly referred to as a “personal issue.”

The Tennessee Titans organization released a statement about the passing of O.J. Murdock:

We are shocked and saddened to hear of O.J. Murdock’s death this morning. 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. He spent the last year battling back from an Achilles injury as he prepared for this year’s training camp. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as they try to cope with this tragedy.