Former NFL football player Rickey Thenarse was hospitalized after a shooting incident in Los Angeles on last Friday.
The former Seattle Seahawk was hospitalized and underwent emergency surgery after being shot in the abdomen. He is expected to recover.
According to TMZ Sports, the incident may have stemmed from a personal dispute between Thenarse, his girlfriend and the father of her child, although it’s unclear what led to the tension. Witnesses reported seeing a man and a woman flee the scene in a black SUV, and no arrests have been made so far.
A standout and dominant two-way player at running back and defensive back, Thenarse became a four-star recruit while attending Jordan High School in Los Angeles.
On offense, he finished his senior season with 112 rushes for 1,344 yards and 10 touchdowns, while catching 19 passes for 628 yards and five touchdowns. He received first-team all-city and all-state honors, emerging as the No. 94 overall prospect in the nation according to ESPN.
He originally blossomed onto the national scene as a junior, rushing for 1,234 yards and 12 touchdowns, catching 15 passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns, while adding 20 tackles and three interceptions on defense. He was named first-team all-Eastern League.
Thenarse eventually chose Nebraska over local powers USC and UCLA, while also earning offers from California, Colorado, Fresno State, Oregon and Washington.
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Thenarse’s career never fully panned out at Nebraska.
He appeared in 51 games from 2006-2010 — which included redshirting in 2009 following an injury — and earned special teams MVP honors in 2006 and 2007.
Thenarse went undrafted in 2011 before signing with Seattle and recording one tackle in three preseason games. He was released during final roster cuts of that season, which ended his NFL career.