Friday, November 10, 2006
Miami shocked after teammate dies, plans to play in his honor
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) -- If any of his grieving players asked, Miami coach Larry Coker would have quickly excused them from the Hurricanes' first practice since the killing of defensive lineman Bryan Pata.
Everyone showed up, though.
And with that, the Hurricanes' long healing process began.
Less than 24 hours after Pata, one of the Hurricanes' most-respected players, was killed outside his apartment, his team was back on the football field Wednesday afternoon to prepare for Saturday's game at No. 23 Maryland. The Hurricanes have decided to play the game, saying they'll do so in Pata's honor.
"They felt like Bryan would want to practice. They felt like Bryan would want to play," Coker said after practice. "That's a decision that we respected, and I think it's the right decision."
Pata, 22, was shot to death Tuesday night outside his off-campus apartment, less than two hours after practice and an informal team dinner ended. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound defensive lineman was found dead in the apartment complex's parking lot when police arrived, and detectives ruled it a homicide.
Detective Roy Rutland, spokesman for the Miami-Dade County Police Department, said police searched Pata's apartment after the shooting. He would not provide any details about what officers sought and what was found. No other details were released, but police appealed for anyone with information about the shooting to contact them. A reward of up to $1,000 was offered for any tip leading to an arrest.
"The investigators are following all leads, and the release of any information at this time could compromise the investigation," Rutland said Wednesday.
A woman who said her son is married to one of Pata's sisters told The Palm Beach Post for Friday's edition that Pata argued with an unknown man in the parking lot of his apartment complex and was shot in the back of the head as he turned to walk away from the dispute.
"He walked away from that and the guy still put a bullet in the back of his head," Adrenia Lynes said. "He was going to kill him all along."
Miami players were not available for comment after practice. They walked off the field nearly in total silence, with some peeling off their orange, green and white jerseys before shuffling into the locker room.
They have dealt with plenty of problems this season, including a July shooting in which safety Willie Cooper was slightly injured and a sideline-clearing brawl last month in a game against Florida International.
"It's spiritual, but God's not going to give you more than you can handle," Coker said. "And I'm just disappointed that he trusts us so much, because we've been getting a lot to handle."
Some former Hurricanes expressed shock and outrage over Pata's killing.
"It's a product of ignorant individuals and stupid people who don't care about life," said Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Jerome McDougle, a former UM standout and a South Florida native who was shot in the stomach by three armed robbers in southwest Miami in July 2005. "It's tragic. I feel for him and his family."
Added Washington wide receiver Santana Moss, another UM alum: "He is a guy that had a promising future, and it was taken away from him."
Well-wishes also poured in from around the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Commissioner John Swofford released a statement offering prayers to Pata's family and the UM community, while many of the league's players and coaches expressed their condolences to Coker and the Hurricanes.
"I was a little shocked," Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan said. "I wish all those guys the best down there, and hopefully they handle that as well as they can."
In his fourth year with Miami, Pata was expected to be chosen in the upcoming NFL draft. He appeared in 41 games, making 23 starts, and had 13 tackles and two sacks this season while helping lead one of the nation's top defenses against the run.
The Hurricanes will play the remainder of this season with "95" decals -- Pata's number -- on their helmets. More tributes are planned, Coker said, and an on-campus memorial service is scheduled for noon on Nov. 15.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
