Cheifs’ Belcher Kills Girlfriend, Self

The death of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, who police say shot himself this morning after killing his girlfriend, has come as a shock to those who had no knowledge of any personal issues with the hard-working player.

The 25-year-old Belcher, whose girlfriend recently gave birth to a daughter, was in his fourth season with the Chiefs and his third as a full-time starter after joining the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent from the University of Maine, where he won 2008 CAA Conference defensive player of the year honors.

The West Babylon, N.Y., native also found success in the NFL after contributing on special teams and as a reserve linebacker for most of his rookie year. He had 171 tackles combined in the 2009-10 season, which was second most on the team to linebacker Derrick Johnson.