If the NFL thought it would escape the July 4th weekend unscathed this season, they were wrong. They didn’t even make it to the fourth. Thursday night Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie offensive tackle Dominique Robertson was shot in a drive by in San Bernardino County, Calif.
Robertson was shot twice in the leg and was treated at a local hospital. According to his lawyer, Zulu Ali, Robertson was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“We don’t believe that he was shooting at Dominique,” Ali said. “But there was a shooting and unfortunately Dominique was hit.”
Prayer up to Dominique Robertson hope it wasn't too serious n heal up big fella !!!
— Akeem Spence (@AkeemSpence) July 2, 2016
It was particularly bad luck since no one besides Robertson was hit in the attack. That didn’t keep police from interrogating him for nearly six hours over the incident.
The Bucs signed Robertson as an undrafted free agent out of NCAA Division II West Georgia. He’s 6-foot-5 and 314 so he has the size to play on the offensive line in the NFL. Hopefully for his sake his recovery won’t knock him out of any training camp activities. Tampa Bay will be opening its training camp on July 30.
Supplemental Draft roster underwhelming
There’s usually a significant player or two on the NFL’s Supplemental Draft list thanks to NCAA or academic troubles, but this year the list of players available is downright yawn-worthy. The only player that appears in any danger of actually getting selected, albeit very late, is Purdue defensive tackle Ra’Zahn Howard and that would just be on potential, not performance.
Purdue DT Ra'Zahn Howard is a very interesting prospect for the NFL Supplemental Draft. He had Day 2 NFL Draft potential in 2017.
— Zach Metkler (@CoachMetkler) July 1, 2016
Howard started for the Boilermakers the last two seasons and amassed a total of 43 tackles, 2.5 for a loss and two sacks. Those numbers don’t exactly jump off the page. He is 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, but unless a team has a roster spot to burn on a nose tackle, Howard will probably end up as an undrafted free agent.
Who are the rest of this Supplemental Draft class of nobodies? Virginia Tech long snapper Eddie D’Antuono, Sam Houston State running back Jalen Overstreet, Ole Miss defensive back Tee Shepard, Concordia defensive end Cameron Walton and Calgary wide receiver Rashaun Simonise. A veritable who’s who of who’s that.
If you’ve heard of Overstreet you’ve probably been reading your local newspaper’s crime beat. Overstreet carried the ball 156 times for Sam Houston State for 840 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He was also busted for credit/debit card fraud. It was his second run-in with the authorities after getting picked up for marijuana possession. I really don’t think his phone is going to ring. Overstreet started his college and jailhouse journey at Texas, but was kicked off that team by Charlie Strong.
Tee Shepard could be an intriguing prospect. He played in only two games for the Rebels last season, but would have probably started if he hadn’t struggled with the team’s coaches over his hearing disability. He came in as a four-star recruit, the No. 1 corner in his class and the No. 18 JuCo player in 2014. My guess is that he won’t get drafted, but might get a call as a UDFA.
Rashaun Simonise had a huge year at the University of Calgary, catching 65 passes for 1,306 yards and 11 touchdowns. What does that mean to the NFL? I have no idea.
If no player gets picked it won’t be the first time. In 2013 and 2014 no player was selected. Last year the Los Angeles (the St. Louis) Rams picked Clemson offensive tackle Isaiah Battle. In 2012 the Cleveland Browns picked wide receiver Josh Gordon. The Rams used a fifth round pick on Battle. The Browns gave up a second round pick or Gordon.
Batch, a former Steeler, arrested. No, not that Batch
While Charlie Batch, the former back up quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, may long live in their lore for winning a few key games for an injured Ben Roethlisberger, this story isn’t about him. It’s about running back Baron Batch and if you don’t remember him playing for the Steelers there’s a good reason for that. He had just 25 carries in his entire career, which lasted for all of the 2012 season.
Since leaving football Batch has become a successful and famous artist. He just doesn’t always work on a canvas. Last week Batch was busted for 30 counts of criminal mischief for graffiti inside the city limits.
“Great artists paint on things,” Batch wrote on his website after being busted. “And sometimes great artists pain on things they aren’t supposed to.”
