Former UF wideout Donald “Reche” Caldwell was killed in his hometown of Tampa Saturday night.
Caldwell, who played six seasons in the NFL after leaving UF, was assaulted by “a couple of people” outside of his apartment, according to his mother. Tampa police found him outside of his apartment with a gunshot wound around 11 p.m. and took him to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to TMZ. He was 41 years old.
Police have not made any arrests as of Sunday night, but said in a statement the incident “did not appear to be a random act.”
Caldwell attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Tampa. He played quarterback on the football team and was the Class 5A Player of the Year as a junior. He also played center fielder on the baseball team. Caldwell was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1998 MLB Draft but opted to go to UF to play college football as a wide receiver.
At Florida, Caldwell won an SEC Championship in 2000 when the Gators defeated Auburn 28-6. He had his best season with UF in 2001 as a junior, when he was named second-team All-SEC, an Honorable Mention All-American and was a semifinalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, which is given annually to the nation’s best collegiate receiver. In his junior year, he had 65 receptions for 1,059 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Caldwell finished his career at Florida with 141 receptions, 2,088 yards and 18 touchdowns.
He was drafted with the 48th pick in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. His best season in San Diego was 2004, when he caught 18 passes for 310 yards and three touchdowns in six games due to an injury. His best NFL season, however, came in 2006, when he signed with the Patriots as a free agent.
Caldwell started 14 games and caught 61 passes for 760 yards and four touchdowns. He ended his NFL career with the Washington Redskins, where he appeared in eight games and caught 15 passes for 141 yards.
Former NFL and UF players reacted to Caldwell’s death on social media. Some of Caldwell’s former teams, including Florida and Thomas Jefferson High School, also made tribute posts.
“RIP Reche. You were one of my favorite teammates of all time,” former quarterback Rex Grossman, Caldwell’s teammate at Florida, wrote on Twitter. “I will always remember our time at Florida for your unreal talent, infectious humor, and our shared success as a team. You will be missed by all your Gator family.”
Former Patriots teammate Wes Welker wrote on Twitter, “So sad to hear this! Reche’s smile and attitude were contagious. My thoughts and prayers go out to Bubba Caldwell and his family!”
Players that played against Caldwell, such as Donte Stallworth and Benjamin Watson, wrote about Caldwell’s sense of humor and jovial nature.
“Always kept us laughing and light hearted. Always had the biggest smile. Always had the greatest stories,” Watson wrote on Twitter. “Sad to hear about the passing of my teammate Reche Caldwell. May the Lord comfort his family during this time.”
Follow River on Twitter @riverhwells and contact him at rwells@alligator.org
FILE - In this Dec. 31, 2006, file photo, New England Patriots wide receiver Reche Caldwell (87) catches a pass for a 62-yard touchdown ahead of Tennessee Titans cornerback Reynaldo Hill in the third quarter of an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn. Caldwell, the former University of Florida and NFL receiver, was fatally shot Saturday, June 6, 2020, in his hometown. Caldwell's mother, Deborah, did not return phone messages left by The Associated Press on Sunday, but confirmed her son's death to the Tampa Bay Times. (AP Photo/John Russell, File)
