Former Ball State and Colts player killed in Tampa shooting

The Tampa Bay Times reported that former Plant High School football star Eric Patterson was shot and killed yesterday. They state that according to police reports Patterson’s roommate woke up to the sound of commotion around 5 a.m. He then saw the suspect fleeing after shooting the victim in the back. Patterson died at the hospital.

After a star studded career in Plant High School in Tampa, FL, Patterson went on to play for Ball state as a Cornerback. Patterson played in 41 games (28 starts) at Ball State and finished with 189 tackles (135 solo), 9.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, 27 passes defensed, six interceptions and three forced fumbles.

He was signed by the Colts as a free agent on August 9, 2015. He originally signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent on May 8, 2015 and was waived by the team on June 9, 2015. After his brief stint with the Colts he would go on to play for the Rams and the Browns until he left football indefinitely.