Youth football camp honors slain Miami Hurricanes player Bryan Pata

Bryan Pata's family hosted hundreds of children for a football clinic on Saturday, calling it another way to celebrate the slain Miami player's life.

Several players from Miami, including Hurricanes quarterback Jacory Harris, and host FIU took part in the second annual Pata Camp #95, although very few of them ever met the defensive end killed nearly four years ago.

Pata, a Miami Central grad, was shot in a parking lot outside his off-campus residence in November of 2006, just months before he expected to be drafted into the NFL. No arrests have been made in the case, and Miami-Dade police officials have told the family that their investigation remains open.

Pata's brother, Edwin Pierre-Pata, says the foundation that he helps run in his brother's name is trying to both educate the college players on how to avoid violence, as well as provide positive role models for kids.

"Bryan died due to violence and we want to send kids the message that they should stay away from that kind of lifestyle," he told the Miami Herald.

Several former teammates and current NFL'ers attended as well, including Eric Moncur of the Philadelphia Eagles, Tavares Gooden of the Baltimore Ravens and Kareem Brown of the Tennessee Titans.



(nbc.com)