Aurora massacre survivor Jordan Murphy chases longshot NFL dream
Jordan Murphy might be one of the longest of longshots among this year’s NFL Draft-eligible players: he plays fullback, a dying position in the league, and he did not record a single carry or catch in his college career.
But Murphy has already survived long odds to get to this point, so he figures pursuing his football dream is worth the effort.
On July 20, 2012, Murphy and three friends were among dozens of moviegoers in an Aurora, Colo. theater for an opening-night showing of “The Dark Knight Rises.” Not long after the movie began, a costumed crazy named James Holmes stormed the theater, threw tear-gas grenades, and began opening fire.
When he was done, Holmes had killed 12 individuals and injured scores more.
Murphy told his story to ESPN Denver Broncos writer Jeff Legwold:
“[Holmes] comes in to the right, my front right — we were in the fourth row. I can see his weapons. I can see him pretty clearly. He’s dressed up like Bane, you know, the character in the movie, so you’re thinking, ‘Oh, it’s opening night, this is some cool stunt to get people going.’ But then he launches the tear gas and right then I knew it was real. …
“We ducked down, we waited a few seconds. I heard his gun click that he was out of ammunition, so we crawled as fast as we could and then stood up at the end of the row to run. I think I attracted his attention because he turned his head to me, took a shot. Don’t know if it was a shotgun or his AR-15, but the bullet hit right over my head, drywall exploded, sprayed on my face, the dust went in my eyes. At that point I’m thinking I’m not getting out, but I’m running along the way, we were getting ready to turn the corner and the bullet just smashed the drywall. They always said the reason I couldn’t play Division I as a linebacker was because I wasn’t 6-2. I’m 6 feet. If I was 6-2, I’d probably be dead because that bullet is in my head.”
Coming up on four years later, Murphy is leaning on the revelation he made in the wake of that horrific night – “Life is short; you don’t really know how many days you have” – as he prepares for his NFL bid.
Splitting his playing career between Colorado State and Colorado, Murphy didn’t have any touches in game play, and instead worked to become a special-teams maven. His willingness to do anything at any time in that phase of the game is what he hopes will endear him to clubs.
He works out in Denver every day with other young men chasing their own NFL dream, trying to make himself into a better receiver, making the drive from his parents’ house in nearby Castle Rock. Murphy has his degree in business administration and some potential job options if the NFL doesn’t work out.
But Murphy doesn’t want to pursue those until he gives pro football his best shot, particularly as he knows there were others in the theater with him that night who were robbed of their chance to pursue their dreams.
“I think a lot about the families who lost someone that night, the people who didn’t get to go home and tell people not to worry that they were all right,” Murphy said. “I still notice sometimes, I’ll be in just a normal public place and I find myself looking at exits, looking at people, like you’re Jason Bourne. I don’t know if I’ll ever stop looking at doors like that.
“So, you know, I’m chasing a dream and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll have a backup. It will be tough not to play football, but if you give it everything you have, give it everything I can, I think I would be able to leave it behind. But I refuse to say I didn’t at least try.”
