Nebraska wide receiver Maurice Purify made a trip to his home in California on Wednesday after an older brother was shot and killed.
BRIAN CHRISTOPHERSON / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 7:00 pm
Nebraska wide receiver Maurice Purify made a trip to his home in California on Wednesday after his older brother, 29-year-old Ronald Spears, was shot and killed.
Purify said he was unclear of many of the details, but knew it involved gunshots.
A San Francisco Chronicle story on Wednesday shed more information on the shooting.
It reported that Spears was driving a Dodge Charger at about 1 a.m. Tuesday in Oakland and had a woman and another friend alongside. While trying to find a friend’s house, they met a man at a gas station and asked for directions.
Directions were given. The man then asked Spears for a ride and was given one.
One of the female witnesses said that while in the car, the stranger pulled a gun and demanded money from everyone.
She said Spears tried to knock the gun away and run from the car, but was shot in the back.
Spears had just turned 29 on Monday. The brothers were close, Purify said. Spears was one of Purify’s 11 siblings.
“I’m not qualified to say exactly what happened, but obviously he had tragedy in his family and had to get home and be a part of that,” said Husker receivers coach Ted Gilmore after Wednesday’s practice.
Purify said he will return to Lincoln on Sunday after attending the funeral.
The senior is a product of Eureka, Calif., and became a fan favorite last season when he ranked second on the team with 34 receptions and averaged 18.5 yards per catch. Among those receptions, 29 were good for first downs.
The offseason has been a rocky one for Purify.
Before the tragedy, he was arrested May 5 on several charges stemming from an altercation at a downtown Lincoln bar.
He was also arrested June 8 for suspicion of driving while intoxicated. A plea arraignment covered both cases, and he was sentenced to one year of probation and fined $1,250.
Purify was suspended indefinitely from the team for seven weeks before Husker head coach Bill Callahan ultimately announced the receiver would sit out the Sept. 1 season opener against Nevada.
Despite his setbacks, Callahan said in early August that Purify’s fellow teammates have embraced him more than anyone he’s seen.
“They do like Maurice,” Callahan said. “They love him and want to see him have success and do great things.”
Reach Brian Christopherson at 473-7439 or bchristopherson@journalstar.com.