A Closer Look At The Late Bryan Pata

As the college football world comes to terms with the tragic, awful death of Miami Hurricanes defensive tackle Bryan Pata, who was shot yesterday outside his apartment, details continue to filter in. The University has not yet announced if the team will play its game Saturday against Maryland.

From all accounts, Pata seemed to be an upstanding member of society, and not just by University of Miami standards. Other players considered him a leader and are devastated by his loss. If you didn't know Pata as anything more than just another Miami guy who might go in the NFL draft, until they take it down, you can look at his MySpace page. As tends to happen with those who die with a MySpace page still active, there are countless testimonials to Pata, which we always find both bizarre and, strangely, touching.

Brian Pata MySpace [MySpace] Pata Shot And Killed [Rapid City Journal]