Bryan Pata facts for kids
Pata's Miami team photo
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| No. 95 | |
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| Position | Defensive lineman |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | August 12, 1984 Miami, Florida |
| Died: | November 7, 2006 (aged 22) Kendall, Florida |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight | 272 lb (123 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
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| Bowl games |
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| High school |
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Bryan Sidney Pata (born August 12, 1984 – died November 7, 2006) was a talented American football player. He played as a defensive lineman for the Miami Hurricanes college team. Bryan was studying criminology at the University of Miami. Sadly, his life was cut short when he was killed after leaving a football practice during his fourth year at the school. His death was a mystery for many years.
Bryan's Football Journey
Bryan Pata began his football journey playing for three seasons at North Miami Senior High School. Later, he moved to Miami Central Senior High School. He was recognized as one of the best players in the country. Super Prep magazine named him to their All-America team. This means he was considered one of the top high school players in the entire United States. They also rated him as the 26th best defensive lineman in the nation.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper also listed him as one of the top 100 players in the Southern United States. Bryan chose to attend the University of Miami. He also thought about playing for Rutgers University, the University of Florida, and the University of Oklahoma.
Bryan was in his fourth year playing for the Hurricanes. Many people expected him to be chosen by a professional team in the 2007 NFL Draft. During his college career, Bryan played in 41 games. He started 23 of those games. In his last season, he mainly played as a defensive tackle. He made 13 tackles and had two sacks. He was also on a special list for the Ted Hendricks Award. This award goes to the best defensive end in college football.
A Sad Day
On November 7, 2006, Bryan Pata was killed outside his apartment complex. This happened in Kendall, Florida, after he had left team practice earlier that day. The Miami-Dade Police Department investigated his death. Bryan was 22 years old when he died.
For nearly fifteen years, Bryan's death remained unsolved. However, on August 19, 2021, a former Miami football teammate, Rashaun Jones, was arrested in connection with Bryan's death.
See also
- List of unsolved murders
- List of American football players who died during their careers
