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The family of Ronnie Caldwell Jr. is filing a lawsuit against Northwestern State following the defensive back's death earlier this month.
"We're not going to get into the details of what the lawsuit would entail, but we can say this, that the university, the coach, they failed Ronnie Jr.," Tony Pradia, a lawyer representing the family, said during a news conference, per ESPN's Kyle Bonagura.
In early October, Caldwell was moved to a different apartment at an off-campus complex after mold was found in his unit. He was placed with a non-university student in a new unit and that roommate allegedly pull a gun on him on Oct. 9, his family said in a statement.
Caldwell reported the incident to his father, who alerted head football coach Brad Laird of the incident. While Laird assured the family action would be taken, the family alleges that no steps were taken to ensure their son's safety.
"Coach Laird replied with a phone call assuring the family that he would take immediate action and move Ronnie to a safe location. Nothing was done, the family heard no updates from the University," the Caldwell family's statement said.
"The next call the family received was from Coach Brad Laird telling us that Ronnie had been murdered."
Caldwell was shot and killed at his apartment on Oct. 12, and his non-university student roommate was arrested the same day for possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled substance.
Caldwell's Northwestern State teammate, Maurice Campbell II, was also arrested in connection to his death. He was arrested for "obstruction of justice, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance," per Bonagura.
Specific details of Caldwell's death have not emerged. No one has been charged in connection with his death.
Northwestern State cancelled the remainder of its football season on Thursday and Laird stepped down as head coach.
"Ronnie was a beloved member of our community, and we miss him dearly," Northwestern State president Marcus Jones said, per ESPN's Dave Wilson. "While our instinct was to return to the field of play following his death, we've since learned that the hurt on our team was too deep. Now it is in the best interest of our players, coaches and staff to pause and to take this time to mourn, to heal and to support Ronnie's family."
Laird added: "Due to the loss of Ronnie and the emotional burden it has caused me, I don't feel I can give my all to these players or this program. Any coach will tell you that their players become like family, so the loss of Ronnie was like losing a son. I love this program and this university and I know it will persevere and move forward with the competitive spirit that is at the core of our DNA."
The Northwestern State football team has canceled the remainder of its season after the death of junior safety Ronnie Caldwell.
"Ronnie was a beloved member of our community, and we miss him dearly," President Marcus Jones said in a statement released Thursday.
"While our instinct was to return to the field of play following his death, we've since learned that the hurt on our team was too deep. Now it is in the best interest of our players, coaches, and staff to pause and to take this time to mourn, to heal, and to support Ronnie's family."
The school has also accepted the resignation of head coach Brad Laird, who was in his sixth season as the Demons' head coach.
"Due to the loss of Ronnie and the emotional burden it has caused me, I don't feel I can give my all to these players or this program," Laird said.
"Any coach will tell you that their players become like family, so the loss of Ronnie was like losing a son. I love this program and this university and I know it will persevere and move forward with the competitive spirit that is at the core of our DNA."
Police found Caldwell, 21, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds at the Quad (Frog Pond) Apartments on University Parkway in Natchitoches, Louisiana, during the early morning hours of Thursday, Oct. 12, per a police statement relayed by the Natchitoches Parish Journal. The Natchitoches Parish Coroner's Office pronounced Caldwell deceased as a result of those injuries.
Two men have been arrested in connection with Caldwell's death, per a KTBS-TV report.
Police detained 27-year-old John McIntosh, Caldwell's roommate, on possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance. He has since been released from a detention center on bond.
Police also arrested Caldwell's ex-teammate, 22-year-old Maurice Campbell II, on "obstruction of justice, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance."
Campbell, a defensive tackle, played four games for the Demons this year. He is no longer listed on the roster.
Neither man has been arrested on murder charges in response to Caldwell's passing.
Caldwell had not played yet this season due to injury but stayed around the team and served as a "de facto defensive assistant coach" this year, per a NWSU athletic department statement.
Laird also issued this statement soon after Caldwell's death.
"The Northwestern State family has suffered a tremendous loss. Ronnie Caldwell was a young man who had a bright future ahead of him on or off the football field. He was our voice in the locker room. When Ronnie spoke, others listened. The respect our football team had for Ronnie was evident. He did not play a snap this year because of an injury, but his voice resonated with every member of our team from the first player to the 115th on our roster.
"Our hearts are broken and ache for Ronnie's family and friends. His loss will be felt here at Northwestern State, in Natchitoches and in his home. We will treasure the time we spent with Ronnie and the memories we made, and we will hold him and his family in our hearts as we attempt to move forward in the days and weeks ahead."
Per the Natchitoches Parish Journal, Caldwell made the Southland Conference Commissioner's Fall Honor Roll in 2022 for having a 3.0 minimum GPA. He majored in business administration and had plans to "open a health-focused business" after graduating.
The transfer from Tyler Junior College in Texas also served as a youth baseball coach last summer in Natchitoches.
Northwestern State football player Ronnie Caldwell died Thursday at the age of 21 due to multiple gunshot wounds, according to ESPN.com.
Brittney Hazelton of KSLA reported police in Natchitoches, Louisiana, received a report of gunshots at the 3800 block of University Parkway at around 1:08 a.m. ET. Officers found Caldwell at the scene, and he was pronounced dead by the Natchitoches Parish Coroner's Office.
"The Northwestern State family has suffered a tremendous loss," head coach Brad Laird said. "Ronnie Caldwell was a young man who had a bright future ahead of him on or off the football field. He was our voice in the locker room. When Ronnie spoke, others listened. The respect our football team had for Ronnie was evident. He did not play a snap this year because of an injury, but his voice resonated with every member of our team from the first player to the 115th on our roster."
The school canceled Saturday's game against Nicholls in the wake of Caldwell's death.
The junior safety transferred to Northwestern State after playing two years at Tyler Junior College. He appeared in all 11 of the Demons' games in 2022, finishing with 42 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss.
The school said Caldwell was "a de facto defensive assistant coach" this season while out injured.
With Saturday's cancellation, Northwestern State is now set to resume action Oct. 21 against Southeastern Louisiana. However, the school said that "decisions regarding Northwestern State's remaining football games will be made as the season progresses."
HEIGHT: 6'5 3/4"
WEIGHT: 243
HAND: 10 1/8"
ARM: 34 5/8"
WINGSPAN: 82 1/2"
40-YARD DASH: 4.61
3-CONE: 7.06
SHUTTLE: 4.46
VERTICAL: 37.5"
BROAD: 10'5"
POSITIVES
– Great length and plenty of room for growth on his frame.
– Sets up his pass-rush moves well by getting to square during the stem phase of the rush.
– Has a dirty inside spin move with impressive quickness and agility, and he finishes with a good ice pick to get clean wins. Will win to the inside and outside with it.
– Changes direction well for a solid stick move.
– With his long arms, he can develop a really effective one-arm stab move that can be hard for offensive linemen to defend against if he gets stronger. He had a few reps where he left tackles grasping at air.
– Shown flashes of winning with a rip or dip-rip move—he can add it to his pass-rush arsenal if he gets stronger and more violent with it.
– Really bendy to turn tight corners at the top of the rush. He can win with bend alone against offensive tackles who have poor feet.
– Plenty of speed to close on the quarterback.
– Gets his hands up and has good hand-eye coordination to get batted passes if he doesn't hit home as a pass rusher—another way he puts those long arms to use.
– Against reach blocks, he's shown flashes of using quickness to change the angle on blockers and has a solid rip move to defeat the block.
– Hustle player who takes good angles in pursuit to make tackles down the field.
NEGATIVES
– Needs to add a lot of size, has more of a basketball body right now; tall and lanky.
– Typically late to react to the snap, making it more difficult to win with speed.
– Has to get stronger and more physical at the point of attack as a run defender. He struggles to hold ground against tight ends and offensive tackles and gets little to no extension, often ending up chest-to-chest with blockers.
– Stops his feet on contact.
– Will get collapsed inside against down blocks from tight ends.
– Doesn't keep his hips parallel to the line of scrimmage when trying to set the edge, almost perfectly perpendicular to the line at times.
– Has late hands as a pass rusher, offensive linemen typically make the first significant contact against him.
NOTES
– Baylor transfer, was suspended for undisclosed reasons for the first two games of his last season in Waco
– A 3-Star recruit in the 2017 class, No. 797 overall, No. 58 athlete, per 247Sports' composite rankings
– No. 36 on Bruce Feldman's list of exceptional athletes; 11'3" broad jump, 4.56-second 40-yard dash, 40" vertical, 4.2-second pro agility shuttle
– No major injuries
– 34 career starts
– Baylor stats (two seasons): 18 total tackles (12 solo), 6 TFL, 4 sacks, 2 PD, 3 blocked FGs/PATs
– SFA stats (three seasons): 80 total tackles (43 solo), 20.5 sacks
– 2022 Honors: Third-Team FCS All-American (Stats Perform), First-Team All-WAC
– 2021 Honors: First-Team All-WAC
OVERALL
BJ Thompson was a standout at the East-West Shrine Bowl. He did exactly what he needed to do as an FCS-level prospect by proving himself as a pass rusher against a higher level of competition. He showed off that nasty spin move as well as a couple of counters and the excellent bend he has to turn tight corners at the top of the rush.
However, Thompson's run defense is a major work in progress. He's very lean and isn't strong enough to be an every-down player, so the team that drafts him will have to be patient with him in that regard. After weighing in at 238 pounds in Las Vegas, he still needs to put on at least 10 more pounds before he's ready to play on first and second downs.
The good news is the Lumberjack has plenty of room for growth on his frame, and a couple of SFA staff members told me that he's dedicated himself in the weight room to get his weight up and improve his draft stock to get to this point. So, he has the work ethic and mindset to get the job done.
Schematically, Thompson would be a great late-round option for a team looking for a situational pass rusher. As far as even or odd fronts go, that kind of depends on how much weight/strength he puts on. If he stays in the 250-pound range, he'd probably be best as a standup outside linebacker in odd fronts, but he could play as a hand-in-the-ground defensive end in even fronts if he gets up into the 260s.
GRADE: 5.8 (Backup or Draftable/Rounds 6-7)
OVERALL RANK: 212
POSITION RANK: EDGE24
PRO COMPARISON: Elerson Smith
There is a big-time non-conference matchup set for this weekend at the FCS level of college football. Eastern Washington, who is number three in the latest coaches' poll, heads to Texas to take on Sam Houston State, who is number four.
The teams met last season in the semifinals of the FCS playoffs, with the game becoming an instant classic. EWU trailed 35-0 at halftime but came back to create a memorable game that saw them narrowly defeated by the Bearkats, 45-42.
The two teams haven't forgotten that game, and both come into this matchup looking to prove that they have what it takes to end North Dakota State's two-year run at the top of the FCS. Let's preview this huge matchup between two of the top teams in the FCS.
When: Saturday, September 28 at 3:00 p.m. ET
Where: Elliott T. Bowers Stadium in Huntsville, Texas
Eastern Washington's Season So Far
The Eagles are 2-1, with a 1-1 record on the road so far. They started off the season with a major 49-46 upset of Pac-12 team Oregon State that made national headlines. They then hosted Division II Western Oregon, winning easily, 43-14. They hit their first snag of the season last week at Toledo, where they lost 33-21.
Sam Houston State's Season So Far
The Bearkats are 3-1, with a 3-0 record at home so far. Their season started with a 74-0 shellacking of transitioning FCS independent Houston Baptist. Then came a 65-28 loss, which may sound bad, but considering that it was to Texas A&M, is actually not a big deal. SHSU followed up the loss with two home games, a 55-17 victory over SWAC team Texas Southern and a 52-21 win over another transitioning FCS independent, Incarnate Word.
Major Storylines For The Game
1. Will defense have any role in this game whatsoever? Both EWU and SHSU have prolific offenses, and defenses that don't do a whole lot usually. They both seem to live by the motto "the best defense is a good offense." The team whose defense can take a step forward in this game will likely be the team that comes away with the W.
2. Can the running games be stopped? For both teams, the ground game is a key part of the offense. The Bearkats' whole offense is predicated on it, as they run a unique form of the option. SHSU QB Brian Bell is decent with his arm, but it's his legs and his decision-making within the option that really drive this offense. SHSU is not a team that wants to have to rely on its passing game.
For EWU, QB Vernon Adams is one of the most explosive players in the country, as the nation witnessed when he put on a clinic against Oregon State. Last week, however, the Toledo Rockets figured out a way to slow Adams down. By limiting his ability to break out of the pocket and frequently make long runs, Toledo turned Adams into much more of a pro-style QB. Although he is still a terrific passer, Adams is at his best when able to act as a true dual-threat. In a game likely to turn into a shootout, limiting Adams at all could be a major game-changer.
3. Will home field advantage play a major role for SHSU? In a game between two evenly-matched teams, the crowd could be a factor. The game is likely to sell out, with over 14,000 Bearkat fans packing the stadium. If they can get loud enough to force a few penalties on EWU, it could be just enough to tip the balance in SHSU's favor.
Prediction
EWU 49-SHSU 42. With all due respect to Tim Flanders, the Eagles have the most dynamic player on the field in Adams. He already proved against Oregon State that when he's on, EWU's offense is pretty much unstoppable. He should have no problem getting up for a game of this magnitude, which should give EWU the win in a shootout. The Bearkats had absolutely no answers for Adams in the second half of last season's semifinal matchup, and that will probably continue over into this game.
