Football - Shooting Might End Steve Foleys Career

Chargers linebacker Steve Foley was shot by an off duty policeman and five months after this incident, Foley thinks that his playing days are most probably over.

Foley is suppose to have said during the Super Bowl week when he was in Miami visiting friends that he did not rule out anything but the fact of the matter was that he would not be able to play again.

Foley still refused to comment on what happened on September 3, 2006 when he was shot three times by Aaron Mansker, an off duty Coronado policeman, near his house in San Diego. Foley filed a civil suit on January 31, 2007 against Mansker and city of Coronado and refused to comment on the drunken driving charges that are filed against him.

Just 8 days before the first game of the season, Mansker followed Foley from the freeway to Foley’s house before shooting him. Mansker at that point was a rookie police officer who off duty and he suspected Foley of drunken driving.

When investigations were conducted, Mansker said that he shot at Foley after he reached for his waistband while the investigators had confirmed that Foley was unarmed.

As a result of the shooting, Foley missed the season and was not paid his salary. His team has not tried to recover the roster bonus they had already paid. Foley has a contract till 2009 and if he never plays again, he would lose millions.

Foley was shot in the left leg, hip and hand which required several operations. He ended up with severe never damage in his leg and lost 50 pounds. These are some of the factors that are obstacles hindering his return to NFL. Doctors have said that the nerve damage could take more than a year to heal. At the moment Foley can move around without any help but has problems walking and doing other regular activities.

The police have charged Foley with two counts of misdemeanor for DUI. According to the police, Foley’s blood alcohol level was 0.233 percent while California’s legal limit is 0.08 percent.