Former South Florida defensive lineman Elkino Watson was stabbed and killed Saturday night outside a nightclub in Ybor City, Florida. He was 23.
According to Bay News 9, a fight broke out outside of the nightclub and both Watson and Desmond Horne, who was also stabbed, ran. They were transported to a local hospital and Horne was listed in stable condition because of his injuries.
Horne had tried out for USF's football team. Watson played for South Florida from 2011-2014 and had 19 starts throughout his career. He was invited to the Chicago Bears' minicamp in May.
“We are deeply saddened and stunned by the tragic loss of Elkino Watson and the injuries suffered by Desmond Horne,” USF coach Willie Taggart said in a statement. “Kino was a tremendous young man with a great smile and a big heart who was very much loved by our USF football family and will be sorely missed. Our hearts hurt for his daughter and his family. The thoughts and prayers of our team and our University are with the Watson family as they deal with this terrible loss and with Desmond Horne to make a full recovery.”
Bay News 9 reported that no suspects had been identified in the incident.
Watson had 36 tackles and two sacks as a senior in 2014. A Miami native, he was a four-star defensive tackle recruit. According to Rivals, he was the No. 23 defensive tackle in the country in the class of 2011.
For more USF news, visit RunningoftheBulls.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!