UAB football player Greg Bryant dies at 21 after shooting
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Running back Greg Bryant has died at age 21 after being shot early Saturday morning on Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
CBS affiliate WPEC reports his family confirmed the news on Sunday afternoon.
#BREAKING: UAB running back Greg Bryant has died, Grandmother confirms. He was shot Saturday while driving down I-95 pic.twitter.com/mAW1S7vBbn
— WPEC CBS12 News (@CBS12) May 8, 2016
Bryant and passenger Maurice Grover were found shot in a car along southbound Interstate 95 in West Palm around 4:45 a.m. on Saturday morning, police told CBS affiliate WPEC. Grover had minor injuries, police said.
Investigators were seeking witnesses to the shooting and so far, no suspects have been identified.
Bryant, a former Notre Dame player, was the biggest name in UAB's first recruiting class since restarting the football program.
He spent last season living out of a hotel room in Miami with friends while attending classes at ASA College, playing in only one game. Bryant left Notre Dame after one season when he was ruled academically ineligible for the 2015 season.
Since UAB won't play again until the 2017 season, Bryant was allowed to enroll in January 2016 instead of possibly having to wait an extra year to get eligible elsewhere. He could have become eligible to compete after spending an academic year at UAB.
After news of his passing, several players, coaches and sports personalities took to social media to express their sadness.
In my first interview w Greg Bryant, he was so eager to be here in Birmingham and part of the #UAB Family. #prayers pic.twitter.com/2QIkCmK1Pq
— LaurenSisler (@LaurenSisler) May 8, 2016
Rest in Peace, Greg Bryant. Heard nothing but great things about this man! Gone too soon.☘👼 #OnceIrishAlwaysIrish pic.twitter.com/JcdW7Bw36i
— Notre Dame Irish☘ (@TheNDIrishArmy) May 8, 2016
Rest easy Lil Greg! We all love you man
— Nick LaSala (@CoachLaSala) May 8, 2016
Greg Bryant was an even better person than he was an athlete, and that's saying a lot. He'll never be forgotten.
— Chuck Thompson (@CSCS_SATO) May 8, 2016