Amidst National Championship dreams, Miami Hurricanes' rising star Bryce Fitzgerald faces a terrifying ordeal. Armed assailants targeted him at a party, leaving him a victim of theft.
As the Miami Hurricanes prepare for the biggest game in college football, the National Championship, tragedy strikes for freshman safety Bryce Fitzgerald. The 18-year-old was robbed while attending a party in Florida City. The event was held at an Airbnb when multiple subjects entered with assault rifles and robbed him of jewelry around 3:00 a.m., according to police reports.
It's confirmed that Fitzgerald wasn't the host of the party or the renter of the property. He's simply a victim of a crime, for which there were no injuries reported. It's saddening that this happened just a couple of days after the Hurricanes defeated the Ole Miss Rebels in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl semifinal, with a final score of 31-27.
Fitzgerald has played a key role in the team's secondary, making 15 total tackles, 10 solos and five assists, one tackle for loss, four interceptions, and two passes defended after playing all 12 regular-season games. He stepped up massively in the first round of the College Football Playoffs against the Texas A&M Aggies, grabbing two interceptions, one being the game-sealer, resulting in a final score of 10-3.
As of this moment, the Hurricanes have made no comments about the Fitzgerald news, as the team returned to Miami on Friday, Jan 9th, after the victory over the Rebels. The freshman defender hasn't made a statement at this time.
There is an ongoing investigation as the Hurricanes continue preparation to potentially win a National Championship for the first time since 2001. Fitzgerald is one of many Florida natives, specifically from Miami, to help the program return to elite status. He was a four-star recruit coming out of Columbus High School, recording 32 total tackles, 27 solos and five assists, and eight interceptions in 23 games after two seasons.
Fitzgerald received interest from multiple powerhouse Florida programs, such as the Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles, plus the Florida State Bulls, before committing to the Hurricanes on Aug. 17th, 2024. Similar to freshman star wide receiver Malachi Toney, he's brought a tremendous, immediate impact that's contributed to great success the entire year. His production will be needed against the Indiana Hoosiers for the National Championship, especially with sophomore cornerback Xavier Lucas missing the first half of the game due to a targeting penalty against the Rebels.
Hopefully, this doesn't affect Fitzgerald's focus too much as the stage is set at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, although the Hurricanes are playing as the visitors, Monday night, Jan 19th, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN.
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