Football Player Robbed and Beaten at Poker Game

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The lifestyle of a rookie NFL cornerback is not one usually filled with violence and armed robbery, but young cornerback Corey Tindal was the victim of an armed robbery this week as he participated in a poker game in Huntington, West Virginia at the Super 8 Motel.

As play progressed, suddenly and without warning a member of the game and an accomplice leapt to their feet brandishing a semi-automatic pistol and demanded money. Tindal was hit on the head twice in the incident before the assailants made off with around $4000 in stolen cash. The suspects were known to Tindal and his friend, but only by nicknames and it is reported that they had played poker with them the day before too. They are rumored to come from Detroit, Michigan but fled the scene without being apprehended. .

Tindal has had an up and down few months. Initially going undrafted in the NFL Entry draft in May, he was fortunate to secure a contract as a free agent with the Cincinnati Bengals. He had been a junior in Marshall University and after a good junior season where he finished fifth on the team in tackles with three sacks and 13 pass breakups he decided to take his shot and attempt to win a spot in an NFL line-up. He could have chosen to play his senior season, but decided he was ready for the big time. Time will tell if this was a shrewd decision or not.

Hopefully this incident does not derail this young sportsman from achieving his dreams as he must now upset the odds and secure a place on the Bengals 50-man roster this fall. He needs a successful summer training camp to impress the coaches in order to do it. Being the victim of an armed robbery certainly doesn’t help prepare him for the job ahead but at least he survived the incident and came away suffering no money than a bump to the head and some money stolen.

Whilst It has been reported that both Tindal and his friend will not face charges for gambling, the coaching staff at the Bengals may now be a little sceptical about progressing the career of a young player already having brushes with the law. Tindal will need to perform really well in order to reassure the coaches this was a one-off.

Poker robberies are not uncommon and this is why playing in safe games at reputable locations and staying away from private home games with people you do not really know is highly recommended. As well as getting robbed, you can also face charges for participating in illegal/unlicensed gambling pursuits if this is the law in your local area.

Even playing with people you know is not risk-free. In 2011, shortly after winning the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event, Jonathan Duhamel was seriously assaulted in a robbery and had a large amount of cash and property stolen, included his WSOP Main Event bracelet. Eventually and shockingly, his ex-girlfriend was jailed for setting up and participating in the assault.

Wherever money is concerned, be extra careful. This is good advice for anyone but perhaps even more so for someone like Corey Tindall who is playing russian roulette with a promising and potentially hugely lucrative Football career, which could be on the line if he continues to suffer scrapes such as the one that has hit the news this week.