Reche Caldwell in action for the New England Patriots. Photo / AP
Reche Caldwell in action for the New England Patriots. Photo / AP
It was a pivotal moment but not 'the' pivotal in the New England Patriots' 38-34 AFC Championship defeat to the Indianapolis Colts in 2006.
With the scores tied at 28-28, and eight minutes and 38 seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady threw to the right-hand side of the field to an open receiver Reche Caldwell.
Caldwell was the side's leading receiver that season and a week earlier scored a touchdown in the final quarter which tied the game against the top seed San Diego Chargers before the Patriots secured a late upset win.
On this occasion, with the Patriots facing first and 15 on the Colts' 19-yard line, Brady found Caldwell in clear space with his arms waving awaiting a pass. But Caldwell dropped it cold. The surprised look on his face said it all.
"And it drops it again for the second time in this half," commentator Jim Nantz said in the CBS coverage. "There was no one within 15 yards of him," he added.
There was still plenty of time left in the game and plenty of defining moments to come. The Patriots took the lead with a field goal shortly after the Caldwell misplay, and then once again later on in the final quarter before Peyton Manning led the Colts with a touchdown pass in the closing stages to book his team a spot in the Super Bowl.
But for Caldwell, who was murdered over the weekend, the drop pass was the moment that marked a downward spiral in his career and life.
"The way the game kicked him to the curb like an unwanted stepchild hurt him mentally and haunted him," his brother Andre Caldwell told ESPN The Magazine in 2016, adding that he believes his brother was haunted by the dropped passes in that 2006 defeat.
"He heard all the jokes and criticisms," Andre, who also played in the NFL, said. "And it broke his heart."
After leading the Patriots in yards received that season, Caldwell signed with the Washington Redskins and played just eight more games in the NFL before his career was over.
Reche Caldwell drops the ball during a final quarter drive in the 2006 AFC Championship. Photo / Youtube NFL
The Associated Press reports Caldwell was fatally shot in the weekend in his hometown in Florida.
Caldwell's mother, Deborah, did not return phone messages left by AP on Sunday, but confirmed her son's death to the Tampa Bay Times.
She said police told her they believe her son was ambushed outside his home in a possible robbery attempt.
The 41-year-old Caldwell was not named in a police report on the incident per Florida law, but the report said, early in the investigation, the shooting "does not appear to be a random act."
Caldwell was awaiting sentencing this month after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, along with several other former NFL players. He also served prison time on a 2014 drug charge.
The University of Florida and Caldwell's three NFL teams — the Chargers, Patriots and Redskins — were among those to tweet condolences to his family, along with former Florida coach Steve Spurrier and former Gators quarterback Rex Grossman.
Spurrier tweeted that Caldwell "was one of the best WR's in school history and was very instrumental in winning the 2000 SEC Championship."
"RIP Reche," Grossman wrote. "You were one of my favourite teammates of all time. I will always remember our time at Florida for your unreal talent, infectious humour, and our shared success as a team. You will be missed by all your Gator family."
Former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady posted a photo tribute to his Instagram page, with one photo showing Brady and Caldwell in an on-field embrace.
Caldwell was drafted by San Diego in the second round in 2002. He had 152 catches for 1,851 yards and 11 touchdowns in six NFL seasons — four with the Chargers and one each with New England and Washington.
