NFL Players Missing After Fishing Trip

At least two NFL players are missing after their fishing boat disappeared about 50 miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.
Victor "Marquis" Cooper, of the Oakland Raiders, and Corey Smith, of the Detroit Lions, are among the four boaters that the Coast Guard is searching for today.

A 21-foot center-console boat with four people left the Seminole Boat Ramp in Clearwater Pass, Fla., at 6:30 a.m. Saturday, according to the Coast Guard in St. Petersburg. The boaters were supposed to return after dark but never did.

At 1:30 this morning, the Coast Guard received a call from a friend saying that the boaters were overdue. The Coast Guard said the third boater was Nick Skyler and did not identify the fourth person.

Cooper, whose truck and trailer is till parked at the boat ramp where the men left from, is a linebacker with the Oakland Raiders. Smith is a defensive end for the Detroit Lions. Both began their careers with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Officials say the waters in the Gulf are extremely choppy and they believe the boat is in distress.

A Coast Guard 47-foot motor-life boat crew from Station Sand Key, Fla., HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and C-130 Hercules fixed-wing aircrews from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, and the Coast Guard Cutter Crocodile are searching a 750-square mile area west of Clearwater Pass for the missing boaters.

Comment by JASON on March 1, 2009 at 11:47pm: crazy how things can hit home...one of the missing boaters is my friend's boyfriend! I just found out tonight. This is crazy...everyone continue to pray if prayin is what you do

Comment by Marcus on March 2, 2009 at 12:21am: Man thats messed up. May God be with them if they are still alive. This aint funny at all it sounds real serious! And May god be with the families of them!!

Comment by Carlos Moore on March 2, 2009 at 12:41am: damn thats crazy, best of luk for those fellas man, god be with em through it all.

'los

Comment by shalonda stephens on March 2, 2009 at 9:14am: that is so messed up. i hope they are ok. and i agree wit u daniel brizboyz shit aint funny and ole boy need his ass whipped 4 laughin.

Comment by Discoballin on March 2, 2009 at 9:47am: FUCK NIGGA THAT AINT FUNNY HOPE YALL TURN UP GOD BLESSS

Comment by Dominique Carroll on March 2, 2009 at 12:46pm: thye probably some where laid up with each other

Comment by Michael on March 2, 2009 at 2:04pm: It take a Hater to think that shit is funny them boys be off trying to enjoy the fruits of their labors and some catastrophic shit happens and another muthafucka think its funny...That's why you niggas aint got shit, wont be shit so you dont understand shit. I hope cuz never get stuck nowhere my word Karma is a Mutha fucka Bruh...

Comment by Josh on March 2, 2009 at 3:23pm: you. I hope these boy is iight. Pray for them.

Comment by action jackson on March 3, 2009 at 12:11am: Black people need to learn how to swim and tread water. I'm never going deep sea fishing until I learn to do so.