Former NFL receiver Reche Caldwell shot and killed at 41

Reche Caldwell, a former NFL wide receiver, was shot and killed outside of his home in Tampa, Florida on Saturday, according to TMZ. He was 41.

Caldwell’s mother, Deborah, told TMZ that her son was about to take his girlfriend out when he went back inside his house to get a jacket. His girlfriend said Caldwell was “ambushed” by a “couple of people” who jumped out of the bushes in an attempted robbery.

Caldwell was shot in the leg and chest before 911 was called, but he died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, TMZ reports.

“He was a good person who smiled all of the time,” Caldwell’s mother told TMZ. “He tried to help everyone he could. He was the type of guy who would take his shirt off his back and give it to you.”

Caldwell, who was a second-round pick in the 2002 NFL Draft out of Florida, played for the Chargers, Patriots, and Redskins over the course of six years in the NFL. He last signed a one-year contract with the Rams in 2008 but was released during the final preseason roster cuts.

He finished his NFL career with 152 receptions for 1,851 yards and 11 touchdowns, along with 14 carries for 108 yards rushing in 71 games.