| Murdock died Monday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. (Getty Images) |
According to police, 25-year-old Titans wide receiver O.J. Murdock has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound outside of his high school in Tampa, Florida.
Murdock, who was twice excused from Titans practice over the weekend for "personal reasons," was found in his car outside of his high school on Monday morning, police said, and transported in his car to a local hospital while in critical condition.
"At approximately 8:30 a.m., officers discovered the victim’s body in his car in front of Middleton High School with an apparent self inflicted gunshot wound," the Tampa police report reads. "He was transported to Tampa General Hospital in critical condition where he died at 10:43 a.m. He is a Tennessee Titans football player."
The Titans confirmed Murdock's passing on Monday afternoon.
"We are shocked and saddened to hear of O.J. Murdock’s death this morning," the Titans said in a statement released by the team. 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."
Murdock signed with the Titans as an undrafted free agent out of Fort Hays State after transferring from South Carolina where he played for two years. At one point in his tenure with the Gamecocks, Murdock was teammates with Kenny McKinley, who committed suicide in September of 2010.
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