Chargers' Rookie RB Brinkley in Stable Condition after Shooting

NFL News - July 11, 2009 - Written by Bruce

In Philadelphia on Friday, rookie San Diego Chargers RB Curtis Brinkley was shot multiple times when his car was stopped at a local park. He was waiting to pick up his sister from work when he was shot while sitting in his car. He managed to drive himself a short distance after the shooting then was taken to a local hospital by a responding police officer. He was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center and is said to be in stable condition. Police do not know what the motive for the shooting was and say the gunman fled the scene in a car. It appears as if luckily the shooting was not fatal and Brinkley hopefully will have a successful recovery.

This is the third time a Chargers player has been shot in the last six years. This is no doubt an alarming number for the team to deal with multiple shootings in this time period. The Chargers organization has wished Brinkley a speedy recovery but will not make any further comments until more information about the shooting is released. This past off season Brinkley signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego. He was one of the top running backs in the country his senior season in high school. He set a Philadelphia city high school record when he rushed for over 7,400 yards and 85 touchdowns for this career. The city is known to have produced some top talent making this achievement quite remarkable. Last year he rushed for 1,164 yards and 7 touchdowns as a senior for Syracuse. All his former teammates and coaches are no doubt wishing him a speedy healthy recovery.

The shooting although tragic could have been much worse as the bullets apparently hit him in the shoulder and the wounds are not life threatining. Reportedly he was at Elkins Park in Philadelphia when the shooting occurred shorty after midnight last night. His sister who works with mentally disabled people was to meet him in the park for a ride home. Brinkley is reportedly worried about losing his opportunity to play for the Chargers. He is said to be a very good kid and was never in any kind of trouble. Prior to the shooting Brinkley was helping to raise money for a local neighborhood softball team to hoping to help some of the troubled kids in the area. All of his friends and family are hoping he is able to recover from this horrific incident and resume his dream of playing in the NFL.