NFL: Former Giants WR Travis Rudolph charged, arrested on first-degree murder in Florida
Former New York Giants WR Travis Rudolph has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office in Florida.
An unidentified man was announced dead at the scene in Lake Park, Florida, while another victim was taken to hospital and their condition is unknown at this time.
NFL: Travis Rudolph was still playing football
Rudolph came into the 2017 NFL Draft from Florida State but went undrafted. He signed with the Giants and was placed on the practice spot where he spent most of his time during his rookie season.
The rookie saw action for the first time in Week 6 but did not record a single catch. The next week, however, Rudolph recorded 3 receptions for 32 yards and no touchdowns. He would then see action in Week 11, recording 3 receptions for 34 yards and still no touchdowns. Rudolph essentially was inactive for the next several games until Week 16 and 17. In total, Rudolph had 8 receptions for 101 yards in his rookie year alone, which was eventually deemed all the playing time he would receive in the NFL.
Rudolph did sign with the Miami Dolphins in 2018, but after suffering a torn ACL, he never saw any action that resulted in his release.
In January of 2020, Rudolph signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as part of the Canadian Football League. He would not see any action with the Bombers and as the news broke of him being arrested/charged with first-degree murder, the Bombers immediately released the 25-year-old player.
Considering how the incident took place at midnight, the Sheriff's office is confident Rudolph is the correct suspect and his football career will likely be over.
Some fans may remember Rudolph as the player who sat down at lunch with a lone boy in a middle school, which went viral all over the internet. At that time, Rudolph was still a receiver for FSU, and players were visiting schools on that day.