Former NFL Tight End Just Experienced His Most Tragic Nightmare
By Erik Lambert
Former Baltimore Ravens tight end Todd Heap just endured the worst nightmare any parent could ever imagine. He accidentally killed his own child.
It’s exactly as tragic as it sounds. No alcohol or drugs were involved. The man did not suffer any sort of psychotic breakdown. It was one of those freak series of events that led to the darkest of conclusions. According to the Arizona Republic, Heap was trying to move a truck in his driveway forward when his daughter wandered in the path of the vehicle and was struck. The results were almost inevitable at that point.
"“Todd Heap, a former NFL football player who also starred at Arizona State University, was behind the wheel of a truck that accidentally struck and killed his 3-year-old daughter at their home in Mesa on Friday, police have confirmed.The accident occurred about 3:45 p.m. in the 7600 block of East Summit Trail, which is in the Las Sendas area of northeast Mesa, police said.The child was in the driveway of the home when Heap moved a truck forward, striking her, police said.She was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said.”"
Horrific lesson
It is truly gut-wrenching in its scope. Something no parent should ever have to go through. By the sound of things, it was just a man losing track of his child while trying to do a common chore. It happens all the time, but almost never with such terrible consequences.
Related Story: 2017 NFL Mock Draft: The Crazy Train Arrives Late To 1st Round
Heap is an Arizona legend, having dominated both the high school and college scenes at Arizona State. He was drafted by the Ravens in 2001 and quickly went to two Pro Bowls. Injuries soon began to slow him down but not before he compiled over 5,800 yards and 42 touchdowns in a productive NFL career. It’s why he was inducted into the Ravens Ring of Honor three years ago in 2014.