FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Two weeks ago, St. Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey was shot multiple times in the head while sitting in a car during a visit to Miami Gardens, Florida.
Immediately after the incident, Atlanta Falcons running back and fellow Miami-area native Devonta Freeman posted a picture on Instagram of himself and Bailey, acquaintances from nearby each other who teamed up during Freeman's football camp.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher said this week there is a chance Bailey won't ever play football again. Such news was disheartening to Freeman.
"Yes, it hurts just to see somebody go down like that," Freeman said. "A guy like him, he gets along with everybody. He's a great athlete. He just wanted to play football. Unfortunately, going back to your 'hood and wanting to be with some family members or your homeboys, you never know what could happen. So, it's just one of those things where you just have to be careful and be conscious of who you're with and who you're around.''
The Bailey shooting is still under investigation. Regardless of the motive behind it, Freeman admitted it heightened his awareness about returning home. He grew up in Miami's "Pork 'n' Beans" projects, known for its violence and drug activity. Freeman's mentor, rap artist Luther Campbell, said this about the area:
"The only difference between the 'Pork 'n' Beans' and Afghanistan is that there are no roadside bombs. Everything else, they've got."
Freeman considers himself careful, but he won't let his guard down.
"Yeah, it changes my mindset," Freeman said of the Bailey shooting. "But I know who to hang out with and where to hang at. Like Stedman, he wasn't expecting that. That's his family, who he was with. Just life, it's tricky like that. You've got to be careful."
Freeman hasn't reached out to Bailey yet because of the circumstances, with Bailey still in the hospital recovering from surgery.
"He's in my prayers," Freeman said.
It wouldn't be a shock to Freeman if Bailey doesn't play again. In fact, he expects Bailey won't.
"He [might have] plates in his head, so it's risky, especially how big they are with the concussion thing," said Freeman, who just recently recovered from his own concussion. "His situation is why I feel like every day, I've got to take advantage of my opportunities and make the best of it.
"It's sad. He wasn't looking for that. He didn't want no trouble. He just wanted to play ball."