TAMPA – Former NFL wide receiver Reche Caldwell was shot and killed on Saturday in Tampa, Florida. He was 41.
His mother, Deborah Caldwell, confirmed his death to TMZ on Sunday. The outlet reported Caldwell was shot by assailants who jumped out of bushes in an attempted robbery.
"He was a good person who smiled all of the time," his mother 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 collegiately at Florida for coach Steve Spurrier from 1998-2001 and posted 141 career receptions for 2,088 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The San Diego Chargers selected him in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft, and he played 47 games in four seasons there, followed by a season each with the New England Patriots and Washington Redskins. He had 152 career receptions for 1,851 yards and 11 touchdowns.
RIP Reche Caldwell.
— SAVAGE BOSTON🍀 (@SavageBoston) June 7, 2020
He was shot last night.
Shit man. pic.twitter.com/XiUHk1h1Kr
Legal troubles followed after Caldwell's career. In 2014, he was arrested for drug possession and intent to distribute and sentenced to prison, and in 2016, he was charged with conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and pleaded guilty.