Florida State players honor teammate Ethan Pritchard as he fights for his life after shooting
Seminoles display Pritchard’s No. 35 jersey while his father watches from the sideline after freshman linebacker was wounded following Alabama upset
Florida State players paid tribute to freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard as he remained hospitalized and "fighting for his life" following a shooting that wounded him last weekend.
Cornerback Earl Little Jr. led the Seminoles out of the tunnel at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday holding Pritchard’s No. 35 jersey in his outstretched hands as the team prepared to face East Texas A&M. Pritchard’s father, Earl, attended the game and watched from the sideline as a guest of the program while Florida State rolled to a 77-3 win over the FCS school from the Southland Conference.
Pritchard was inactive for Florida State’s upset of Alabama the previous week. According to his father’s interview with WFTV in Orlando, the freshman was wounded in the back of the head on Sunday while driving his aunt home after a family gathering near the Florida-Georgia border. "He was actually in the car taking my sister around the corner to her daughter's house to drop her off," Earl Pritchard told WFTV. His father said shots were fired as the vehicle turned a corner.
Team officials did not provide further medical details on Pritchard’s condition on Saturday. The Seminoles’ public show of support followed a tense week for the program after the high-profile victory over Alabama, during which Pritchard was not listed as available.
Players and staff have maintained a visible presence around the family since the incident, and the program invited Pritchard’s father to the game. The gesture underscored the team’s effort to rally behind a teammate while continuing its season schedule.
Florida State enters its next preparations riding a lopsided victory over East Texas A&M and still processing the events that led to Pritchard’s hospitalization. The program did not immediately announce any updates to the investigation into the shooting, and law enforcement agencies have not released additional information publicly.
Pritchard was a freshman linebacker on a roster that has drawn national attention since the win over Alabama. The shooting has prompted an outpouring of concern from teammates and supporters, and the Seminoles are expected to provide updates as more information becomes available and as the family addresses the media.