New York Giants coach Pat Shurmur made it clear Friday that rookie cornerback Corey Ballentine was a victim after not being at the club’s rookie minicamp due to a gunshot wound.
Ballentine was shot in the buttocks and close friend and Washburn (Kan.) University teammate Dwane Simmons was shot and killed during the early morning hours last Sunday in Topeka, Kan.
Ballentine was instructed to stay away from the minicamp by the Giants to heal physically and emotionally.
“He was a victim of a crime, just like that could happen to any of us, so we’re here for him,” Shurmur told reporters. “Certainly, he’s going through the vigils and the funeral and the things that he has to go through. And we’re here to support him as he comes back to us. Thoughts and prayers go his way.”
Ballentine was a sixth-round draft pick by the Giants last Saturday. Shurmur didn’t have an update in terms of how Ballentine’s wound is healing.
“We haven’t seen him yet,” Shurmur said. “He got shot in the butt, so I don’t know. We’ll find out when he gets here. Certainly it might take a little bit of time (to fully heal).”
Shurmur said he is hopeful Ballentine will be at the team’s upcoming full-roster workouts, which begin May 13. If not, it isn’t a major deal in Shurmur’s eyes.
“This is a unique situation, and we want him to get full closure on his end,” Shurmur said. “So we’re sensitive to that. This is a real-life situation. It’s May. We play in September.”
Shurmur indicated he has inside knowledge of Ballentine’s character as his son, Kyle Shurmur, a quarterback who played at Vanderbilt, worked out with Ballentine.
“He’s a great young man,” Shurmur said. “We got to know him really well through the draft process. My son trained with him, so I have some intimate knowledge of what a great young man he is. It’s very unfortunate.”
Topeka police are still investigating the incident.