Patchan Recovering After Being Shot in Shoulder

Florida football coach Urban Meyer confirmed Monday that freshman defensive lineman Matt Patchan was shot in the shoulder Friday night in a Tampa area park and is now recovering in Gainesville.

"Matt Patchan was a gunshot victim Friday night at a Tampa area park. He was a bystander and shot in the left shoulder and is expected to fully recover in three weeks," Meyer said in a statement released by UF.

The incident occurred at Sadie Park in Brandon.

Patchan declined to talk to reporters when contacted by the St. Petersburg Times.

"I've gotta go, I can't talk about it,'' Patchan told the Times.

Patchan, one of the highest rated prospects in UF's 2008 recruiting class, enrolled at Florida in January and participated in spring drills. He moved from offensive tackle to defensive end/tackle late in the spring and is expected to battle for a starting role in August.

Patchan, who played high school ball at Armwood, was home for the break between semesters when the incident occurred Friday.

Armwood coach Sean Callahan told TampaBay.com on Monday that Patchan was with high school friends at the park Friday when he was shot. Callahan said the bullet lodged in soft tissue and has not been removed yet.

According to the St. Petersburg Times, one of Patchan's teammates at Armwood, Wesley Skiffington, also was shot. Skiffington, a kicker who has signed with Stony Brook, was shot in his kicking foot.

[ Robbie Andreu writes for the Gainesville Sun. ]