Former Florida State, NFL Receiver Charged With First-Degree Murder

According to the sheriff’s office via ESPN, a former Florida State and NFL wide receiver has been arrested on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder with a firearm in Palm Beach County, Florida. Travis Rudolph was reportedly involved in an altercation that led to two shooting victims in West Palm Beach and Lake Park, Florida. The male victim in West Palm Beach was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other make victim was taken to the hospital in critical but stable condition.

The affidavit states that a man told police that he had been with the victim who died when Rudolph’s girlfriend called, saying he had been in a physical altercation with Rudolph that night. Then man the told police he went with three other people to Rudolph’s residence unarmed as they wanted to talk to Rudolph. This led to an altercation between Rudolph, another person and the men in the car who traveled to the home.

Police were then told that Rudolph entered his home, came out with a rifle and then fired shots in the car as it sped away. The car stopped working due to the damage, and one person was “slumped over and unresponsive.” A witness told West Palm Beach detectives that he saw Rudolph getting into a fight with the men who visited the home after fighting with his girlfriend. The witness then said he heard “numerous gunshots” and then saw Rudolph returning his home “holding a gun.”

Rudolph, 25, made a name for himself as a receiver at Florida State. He was the team’s leading receiver in 2015 and 2016 and finished his career with 2,311 yards and 18 touchdowns. In 2016, Rudolph gained national attention when he was seen eating lunch with an autistic student during a team visit to a local middle school.

“I asked if I could sit next to him, and he said, ‘Sure, why not?’” Rudolph said at the time via ESPN. “I just felt like we had a great conversation. He started off and was so open. He told me his name was Bo and how much he loves Florida State, and he went from there.” In 2017, Rudolph signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent. He also spent time with the Miami Dolphins in 2019 and signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League in 2020. He was released from the team on Wednesday.