Terrell Roberts, a former Cincinnati Bengals defensive back was shot dead in his grandmother’s backyard, according to relatives.
Roberts appeared in 23 games for the Bengals in 2003-04 and he was gunned down in California late Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019. He was at a residence in Richmond, and an intruder entered the home. He was 38 years old.
According to relatives, the ex-NFL player was “not mixes up in anything bad” and he did not have any enemies they were aware of.
As of Thursday afternoon, no arrests have been made. Investigators are searching for a black male, between 20 and 35 years old, weighing around 250 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black shirt, according to Richmond police Sgt. Enrik Melgoza.
Police responded to a report of a shooting at 4 p.m. Wednesday and discovered Roberts dead in the backyard with a gunshot wound to the chest. Melgoza said he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The shooting began as a dispute between the suspect and the ex-NFL player inside the home’s garage. The connection between the suspect and Roberts is unknown, according to Melgoza. The Sgt. refrained from discussing any evidence discovered at the scene.
Roberts is a native of Berkley, California and attended El Cerrito High School and Oregon State University. He was signed by the Bengals in 2003 and released from the team in the 2005 season.
Thursday morning the news spread of his death on social media, prompting tributes from former teammates.
Retired defensive tackle Shaun Smith tweeted: “Man am tired of waking up everyday to bad news. Another one of my former teammates [was] shot and killed rest easy Terrell Roberts one of the strongest DBs to play the game rest easy my boy.”
The current Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith was a college teammate of Roberts.
“I’m crushed to hear the news of the passing of my teammate and friend Terrell Roberts. Prayers to his family and friends during this difficult time.”
By Jeanette Smith
Sources:
NY Post: Terrell Roberts, ex-NFL player, shot dead in grandmother’s backyard
CBS San Francisco: Former NFL Player Terrell Roberts Shot Dead While Visiting Grandmother in California
Heavy: Terrell Roberts Dead: Former NFL Player Shot, Reports Say
Image Courtesy of Jim Pater’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
