Giant
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
- 1,912
- 0
Getty Images
Shortly after he was drafted by the Giants, former Washburn cornerback Corey Ballentine and his roommate and teammate Dwane Simmons were shot. Ballentine was injured and Simmons was killed.
Although some in the media suggested that Ballentine was somehow to blame for being in the wrong place at the right time, Ballentine’s new coaches are standing behind him.
Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher said of Ballentine, “it makes you emotional thinking about it because that is not a good kid, that’s a great kid.”
Giants defensive backs coach Everett Withers said he has supported Ballentine while he takes time away to grieve the loss of his friend, and that when Ballentine is ready, the team is eager to have him on the field.
“For something like that to happen to a young man on one of the most exciting days of his life and to have his best friend killed, that’s got to be a lot,” Withers said, via the New York Daily News. “The organization has done a really good job of helping him through the process. It’s gonna be a process for him. But we’re excited about getting him. When you watch him on tape, you don’t see a Division II player. You see a talented football player that can run, jump, cover.”
Ballentine is expected to be in New Jersey working with the Giants by next week.