Former Arizona State football player Tyrice Thompson died Saturday morning from injuries suffered in a stabbing last Sunday.
Thompson, 27, played for the Sun Devils from 2003 to 2007 as a tight end and wide receiver. He caught the first touchdown of his career on Senior Day against rival Arizona. After graduating, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Indianapolis Colts but did not appear in an NFL game. Thompson was originally a walk-on from South Mountain High School in Phoenix before earning a scholarship.
Thompson was working as a bouncer at Martini Ranch in Scottsdale last Sunday, police reports say, when a group of patrons was removed from the bar and instigated a fight just after 1 a.m. During the incident, Thompson was stabbed five times in the back, hip and arm.
Police interviewed witnesses and those involved in the fight, and all denied knowledge of who stabbed Thompson. No knife was recovered at the scene. After review of video footage, Ian McDonald, 26, of Tempe was arrested Tuesday but later released after admitting to fighting with security yet denying he stabbed Thompson.
