MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Minnesota football player Brandon Hall was shot to death early Sunday, hours after playing in his first college game. Hall, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman who was a reserve defensive lineman, died following a dispute between a group of teammates and three other men near a downtown bar, police said. ``To the best of my knowledge, Brandon Hall was an innocent victim,'' Minnesota coach Glen Mason said. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Hall made one tackle in the Golden Gophers' 42-0 season-opening victory over Southwest Texas State on Saturday night at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. About 2 a.m., Hall was with some teammates a few blocks north of campus when the players accused the other men of robbing another player, police spokeswoman Cyndi Barrington said. It wasn't known which player claimed he was robbed. After the shooting, a handgun was recovered and three men were arrested, but they had not yet been charged. Mason canceled Sunday's practice and said he wasn't sure when the team would meet again. Athletic Director Joel Maturi said counselors would be available to the players. ``These are all things that none of us have been taught to deal with,'' Maturi said. It's the third tragedy to strike a Minnesota football team in just over a year. Last summer, Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Korey Stringer died of heat stroke in training camp. And last week, the wife of Vikings offensive tackle Lewis Kelly died of pregnancy complications. ---------------------- this is horrible. what is up with minnesota and their football players? didnt they also have problems with their football team last year, when two players were accused of rape?
