Rising Georgia college quarterback Ladarius Clardy killed in 50-bullet barrage

A rising college football quarterback was killed when a barrage of 50 bullets was fired into his car, causing him to crash at a Florida intersection, authorities said.

Ladarius Clardy, an 18-year-old who played in two games for Georgia’s Kennesaw State University last year, was set to return for his sophomore season before he was gunned down Thursday as he drove in Pensacola, WAGA-TV reported.

“Someone fired over 50 rounds into the car, most of them into the car, the driver’s door,” Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said.

The 6-foot, 170-pound KSU backup quarterback and Pensacola native was killed just hours after arriving in town and picking up a friend, who was also shot, the station reported.

Eric Young, 19, remained in critical condition Thursday, after being struck multiple times throughout his body. The gunfire “happened out of nowhere,” Young’s mother, Donneisha, recalled him telling her, WEAR-TV reported.

No arrests have been made yet and it is unclear if the pair were the intended target or what motivated the attack.

Kennesaw State University is a Division1 school whose football team is an associate member of the Big South Division. They play against such football luminaries as Gardner-Webb, Wofford College, Jacksonville State, Hampton State, North Carolina A&T and Robert Morris. In other words...Kennesaw State is NOT a football powerhouse so a 170# second year QB is about right. Meanwhile at the better Division 1 schools the QB is about 6’2” and 207 pounds. But that’s at schools like Boston University, UCLA, Duke University, University of Georgia, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Penn State University, UC Berkeley, the University of Virginia, and the University of Missouri. And of course Alabama, Clemson, Auburn, most colleges in Texas and name your favorite Div 1 school here

As I said, I know next to nothing about American football, so much of your explanation has gone right over my head.

My take-away from your explanation is that Clardy was from a second-tier school, with correspondingly lower standards (and/or lack of ability to attract beefier players).

Thanks and regards,

Actually, Kennesaw State just completed the transition to a Division 1 school so I would classify them as a 3rd tier sports school. They get the athletes who can’t compete at higher ranked schools. Athletes that are lighter, shorter, slower, you get the idea.

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