Father of NFL hopeful killed in South Florida

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The father of NFL hopeful and Florida State University star Travis Rudolph was killed this weekend in an accidental shooting, according to reports from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Darryl Rudolph was shot Saturday morning while he was doing repair work at Sugar Daddy's Adult Cabaret on Military Trail, south of Southern Boulevard.

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Officials say Rudolph, 55, was working in the back storage room of the club at about 9:30 a.m. The club hired him to do odd jobs, mainly repair work, the sheriff's office said.

A coworker was in an adjacent room moving a firearm off a shelf. The gun discharged and fired a bullet through a wall and into Rudolph's neck/back area. He was rushed to St. Mary's Medical Center where he died.

An initial investigation deemed the shooting accidental. The sheriff's office stressed the investigation is active and ongoing. It is unclear who owned the gun or whether anyone will face charges in the shooting.

Sugar Daddy's has been the backdrop — both directly and indirectly — of numerous gun-related incidents.

Greg Bryant, the former standout football player at American Heritage, spent his final hours alive at Sugar Daddy's nearly a year ago. The 21-year-old was heading home to Delray Beach after a night watching his musician friends perform at the suburban West Palm club. He was fatally shot May 7 on Interstate 95.

No one has been arrested in Bryant's death.

Travis Rudolph, a West Palm Beach native and Cardinal Newman High School graduate, made national headlines last summer when he ate with a middle school student with autism who was sitting alone. The wide receiver and his Seminoles teammates were visiting the student's Tallahassee middle school.

As a junior in 2016, Rudolph led the Seminoles in receptions (56), receiving yards (840) and receiving touchdowns (seven). He left Florida State a year early but still managed to sneak into the university's all-time top 10 in receptions (153) and receiving yards (2,311).

In March, Rudolph told The Post he was happy with his decision to enter the NFL draft early. He had private workouts with the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins planned for April.

Cox Media Group