Reflecting On Tragedy, Jets' DeVito Regrets Losing Touch With Belcher
NEW YORK (WFAN) - Football fans, players and the general public are still trying to make sense out of what happened to Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, who fatally shot his girlfriend before shooting himself on Saturday.
Outside of his Chiefs teammates, Jets defensive end Mike DeVito was one of the few NFL players who really knew Belcher well, as the two played together at the University of Maine for three years.
DeVito, like everyone else who has come out and spoken about the tragic incident, was shocked to hear the news of his former teammate.
LISTEN: Joe & Evan chat with Mike DeVito in his weekly spot
"It's shocking to see him on TV, to see his face on pictures, on newspapers," DeVito told WFAN co-hosts Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts on his weekly spot on Tuesday morning. "It's totally shocking and it's disappointing, and I've been praying like crazy for both families. I know the type of person that Jovan was in college, and learning from this experience, I wish I would have stayed in better touch with him.
"It makes you realize how important it is to stay involved in your friends' lives, and always be catching up and checking in, even though they're at different places. It's devastating and it really has hit home. "
Police said that Belcher and his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, were having relationship issues, and that the Chiefs provided the two with counseling so that they could sort out their issues.
In the wake of the tragedy, DeVito maintains that Belcher was an incredible person and teammate.
"He was a first-class guy," DeVito said. "Just an awesome person, a funny guy to be around, and that's why when I see his face on TV I'm totally shocked because it's not something you would ever expect from him. He did so many great things, and now he's going to be remembered as a murderer. It's devastating because we know the type of person that Jovan was. Whatever led him to do this, this whole thing is just a disaster."
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