Sean Taylor comes to mind certainly, but also former Oregon State star corner Dennis Weathersby, who got shot shortly before the draft in 2003. His wounds were non life-threatening but I don't think he ever fully recovered. He was a consensus 2nd rounder with a chance of going in the 1st, but post-shooting, dropped to the 4th round (98th overall) to the Bengals. Perhaps related to his gunshot wounds, he was only active for 4 games of his rookie season (one against the Chiefs), recorded no statistics because he probably didn't see the field, then was out of the NFL for good after that year.
From an April 2003 ESPN article:
Quote:
The draft status of cornerback prospect Dennis Weathersby has been rendered uncertain after the former Oregon State star was shot Sunday evening in his hometown of Duarte, Calif., a Los Angeles suburb.
While the injuries inflicted in the shooting are not life-threatening, and Weathersby is expected to be released from the hospital by Wednesday, it could be 6-8 weeks until the cornerback is cleared to resume any football-related activities. The fact he will probably miss rookie orientation as well as a mini-camp might drop him from his consensus second-round status.
The positive news, on a relative basis, is that Weathersby will not require surgery for any of his injuries.
Weathersby was shot in the back, below the lungs, with the bullet passing through his torso, and entering his forearm. Contrary to an earlier report by ESPN.com, the bullet did not exit his arm, is still lodged there, but will not be removed.
Teams that were considering Weathersby in the weekend draft, certainly will want a detailed analysis of his physical condition.
"I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I feel fine," Weathersby said. "I'm lucky. The Lord has a reason for everything and this must be a part of his plan for me."
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