O.J. Murdock, the Titans receiver who committed suicide on Monday, is being remembered as a great friend by those who knew him well.
Titans tight end Jared Cook had been Murdock’s college roommate at South Carolina before becoming his teammate again in Tennessee, and he told reporters on Monday that he was stunned to learn his friend and died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“It is a horrible thing,” Cook said. “You just don’t see things like this coming. He was an awesome dude, he really was.”
Murdock signed with the Titans as an undrafted free agent a year ago and spent his rookie year on injured reserve. He worked with the team through the offseason, but last week he didn’t report to training camp, citing “personal reasons.” Titans receiver Damian Williams, who roomed with Murdock in Nashville, said he didn’t know what was going on in Murdock’s life.
“He told me Friday night he was doing all right and would be here,” Williams said.
Titans coach Mike Munchak, who learned of Murdock’s death through a call from the league office on Monday morning, said he never imagined he’d have to pass along that kind of news to his team.
“As a head coach, you never think you are going to have to stand in front of your team and give them that type of news,” Munchak said. “I think everyone was shocked by it.”