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What a tragic event for the family of Herman Mitchell! Please know you are in our prayers! I trust that the Oklahoma football program and Bob Stoops will find a way to reach out to the family and remember this young man even though he never stepped on the field for the University of Oklahoma. How about a scholarship to another relative to help them live out their dream?

Thats why I wont be visiting Houston anytime soon. Its like the wild west after Katrina.

Yes, crime has gone up in Houston since Katrina, but we are still not in the top 10 in murder rates. Look to DC, Detroit and St. Louis, among others, for that honor.

it's sad whenever anyone who isn't even finished with high school is gunned down... it makes you wonder if he was in with gangs or something

nice classless speculation thehemoglobin

give the scholarship to a relative? thats the most retarded thing ive ever heard of. not cool the kid got called, but im sure he was no saint

I agree, give the scholarship to a relative? How about giving the scholarship to someone who earned it academically...

Let's keep our eye on the ball... This is a family tragedy and sad news foir the region.... and a loss for all of college football. My thoughts go out to Herman's family and friends. Sounded like a great kid - hopefully OU keeps a locker available for you.

Truly tragic event, however where are all the people calling for the program to be shut down? In the last 3 years OU has been actively paying QB's and other players through no-show jobs, the graduation rates have dropped for players, and now this,

Miami has one of the highest graduation rates for football players in the ACC (yes the one with Duke and UNC) and has not been penalized for paying players, yet after the on-field brawl started by FIU and Pata's tragic death people were calling for the Orange Bowl to be bulldozed and the program to be shut down because the Canes were all thugs and criminals. Where are those people when another of the nations premier programs is mired in tragedy and shenanigans? Or is that talk reserved only for schools not in the bible belt?

My condolences to this young man's family.

**** the program down? I must have missed how this was related to OU, it happened in Houston didn't it. The information I read didn't say what he circumstances were so wouldn't it be prudent to offer condolences to his familie who surely needs them and not go off the deep end with a whole lot of knee jerk reactions. Bad stuff does happen but after we absorb it we have to move on, it his family that will be making the adjustment more than anyone, give them a break stop worrying about footballs loss right now.

That was my point. I don't actually think the program should be shut down, but I was on campus at Miami when Pata was gunned down in a senseless tragedy having nothing to do with football and the campus mourned while some reporters and bloggers called for the program to be shut down. I am just questioning where those same people are in this instance and why the double standard.

I can't even begin to imagine what this player's family is going through but I am glad that they don't have this tragedy becoming a platform for a shut down OU campaign like it was in Miami.

all i can say is 1 less gang member on the streets.

How about a scholarship to another relative to help them live out their dream?

Now that is silly. Give the relatives training in raising children is a better idea. We don't know if the kid was part of a gang or just happened to be in wrong place at the wrong time. If he was out there after midnight then blame the parents. These are kids who need supervision. If he was into gangs then that's what happens to gang members, and it was his and his parent's fault. No matter what the real story is, it has nothing to do with football or Oklahoma.

Good analoysis NatChapsx5. You're obviously living in the Phantom Zone. OU doesn't pay it's players for not working, that was done by the car dealership in Norman and only involved two players in the latest case. OU had already banned its players from working there, and had additional sanctions added to an earlier penalty. This in addition to another SELF-IMPOSED (caps) penalty OU already had in place.

While OU certainly has problems, they are at least trying to be proactive. I can't comment on graduation rates because I don't have them in front of me, but I assume you do? I'd love to see your data broken down by student population, student athlete, and football players for the NCAA, Big 12, and OU since the Big 8 and SWC merged. If you could, particularly highlight Bob Stoops' tenure as head coach, since you obviously believe that's when OU tanked. Please post a link to this goldmine of data you're sitting on.

Don't forget that even with all the self-imposed and NCAA recruiting sanctions in place, if not for getting jobbed twice in the Oregon game last year, we may have seen a Florida-OU title game. Talented players simply want to go there. It'll be scary when the sanctions get lifted in 2010; scarier still if the appeal wins and the sanctions get lifted even earlier. Watch out UT.

Disclosure: I've been a ND fan since the '78 Cotton Bowl.

He wasn't a gang member as far as Houston news said. It was a Louisiana refugee that got into an altercation with him. The original altercation ended and the the other guy went and got a rifle and shot him multiple times. According to news sources in Houston he was a nice kid who tried to stay out of trouble. Looks like another thug took out a decent member of society.

Absolutely clueless comment, rochead30. All that I've read to date was this kid got into a fight for reasons unknown in the parking lot of apartment complex prior to his last fall practice. One of the kids left, returned with a rifle and started shooting. The kid may or may not have been squeaky clean, but to characterize him as a gang member reeks of prejudice and is irresponsible.

I live in Houston and almost everyone in this town agrees that the worst thing that ever happened to Houston was allowing the Katrina refugees to come here. We should have been like Dallas and turned them away.

The amount of racism that has been tossed around in this discussion is disgusting. A person, whether he be white or black, saint or a sinner, lost his life due to an act of random violence and all most of you can say is "one less gang remember on the streets", "wild west" and other tasteless, classless comments. Not only do I pray for the young man who lost his life and his family, but I pray for all of you people out there who jump to conclusions and judge people without knowing them or the facts of the case. In the future please try and not group people together based on what you see in fictional movies like menace to society or boyz in the hood. Not all violence between blacks is "gang" violence.

^^^ The most thoughtful comment on this board so far. Congrats.

A player for Arlington in Indiana was also gunned down. He wasn't a D1A prospect, but he was a D2 for sure. He was at his house with his five year old brother and a car pulled up, a guy stepped out, and started to shoot. He didn't die, but it ruined his career and life.