Last April, the New York Giants selected Corey Ballentine in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. Big Blue hoped for the Division II cornerback out of Washburn University (Topeka, Kansas) to add reliable depth to the defensive backfield. Simply speaking, Ballentine’s life changed the day New York drafted him. But it changed even more later that night, and not for the better.
Ballentine found himself involved in a shooting that not only wounded him but killed best friend and fellow Washburn defensive back Dwane Simmons. Francisco Mendez, who’s been accused of the shooting, was arrested last May.