Former Tampa Bay Buc player dies after being swept off fishing boat

[fishweewee]

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) -- Stanley Shakespeare, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers replacement player and member of the 1983 national champion Miami Hurricanes, died when he was blown off his boat.

Shakespeare, 42, was hit by a strong gust of wind and went overboard Tuesday. His fishing companion didn't know how to operate the 17-foot boat and couldn't throw a life vest close enough when the boat drifted away, Palm Beach County sheriff's spokesman Paul Miller said.

Pattie Hidy, who was on a nearby boat, said she and two companions were flagged down by Shakespeare's boat mate. Hidy said they searched the waters about three-quarters of a mile off Jupiter Inlet for 30 minutes before finding Shakespeare face down, sunglasses clenched in his hand.

The trio pulled Shakespeare onto their rental boat and followed a sheriff's boat to a Jupiter marina. Shakespeare was pronounced dead at Jupiter Medical Center.

Sea conditions reportedly went from calm in the morning to windy and rough in the afternoon, when the accident occurred.

Shakespeare was a starting wide receiver for the Miami team that upset Nebraska in the Orange Bowl in January 1984. He played briefly for the Buccaneers during the NFL's strike season of 1987.

No details of survivors were immediately available.