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Alabama Football Player, Greg Bryant, Shot In Florida

By Monique Harris
Published on: 12:28 PST, May 7, 2016

University of Alabama-Birmingham running back Greg Bryant was shot on Saturday in South Florida. He is in critical condition, reports USA Today.

Bryant, 21, a former Notre Dame player, and passenger Maurice Grover, 25, were found shot in a black, four door Chrysler on a southbound lane along Interstate 96 in West Palm Beach. They were headed toward Forest Hill Boulevard when someone shot into the car twice.

Grover sustained minor injuries, but Bryant was left in critical condition, police reported to the Palm Beach Post.

Both men were taken to St. Mary’s Hospital with gunshot wounds. Investigators said there is no information on the shooter at this time. However, they revealed that the passenger, rear, and front windows were smashed out of the vehicle they were riding in.

As Bryant went into intensive care, social media was confused on whether the Delray Beach native was alive. Initial reports claimed the football star had died. His high school friends began to tweet and post their condolences and picture collages saying the former star was dead to their social media accounts. The family received written statements from the University of Alabama-Birmingham head coach and the school’s president expressing their condolences to the family.

Several family members gathered at the hospital responded, saying Bryant had survived the gunshot but was fighting for his life.

The University of Alabama-Birmingham initially released a statement prior saying Bryant had succumbed to his injuries and was dead. After confirmation from several family members the school recanted, informing the press that Bryant was still alive.

“We understand that our running back, Greg Bryant, is still fighting for his life in a Florida hospital following injuries he sustained in a shooting earlier today,” university coach Bill Clark said in a statement. “The condolences we expressed earlier today were based on information a family member at the hospital provided and gave us permission to release. We remain steadfast as a Blazer family in our prayers and support for Greg and his family at this difficult time.”

Bryant spent last season living in a hotel in Miami with friends while attending classes at ASA College-Miami, a junior college in South Miami after he failed to meet eligibility requirements to continue his Notre Dame career. He played in only one game before his coach suspended him and he later transferred out to ASA College.

Bryant was in the University of Alabama-Birmingham’s first recruiting class since restarting their football program.

“Greg worked extremely hard this spring on the field and in the classroom,” Clark said. “He told me his GPA this semester was the highest he has had in his life, and he was very proud. The light really went on for him here, and he had a bright future ahead of him.”

Since the University of Alabama-Birmingham won’t play again until 2017, Bryant enrolled in school in Alabama in January of 2016 instead of having to wait a year to be eligible to play at another university. He would be eligible to play for UAB when their football program restarts. Bryant was grateful the opportunity to get back in the game.

“Coach Clark, he really did me a favor, because I was living in hotels in Miami,” Bryant told the Associated Press before national signing day in February. “He said I could come in as soon as the semester was over. Any other school I would have had to wait another semester and probably be enrolled by December. I just bought into what coach Clark was saying and I got in with a 2.0 GPA.”

He expressed optimism for his future in an April 18 post on his Twitter page: “Accomplished way to (sic) much to stop here. Got so much more to accomplish.”

[Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images]

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