Broncos wide receiver Kenny McKinley was found dead Monday at his Colorado home in an apparent suicide, police said. 
 
 "It was apparently a suicide, but we're still investigating," Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said. 
 
 Authorities were called to McKinley's home in central Centennial at about 3:25 p.m. Monday. McKinley's body was discovered in a second-floor bedroom with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 
 
 The 23-year-old, second-year pro has been on the team's injured reserve list since early August with a knee injury. He played in eight games as a rookie in 2009, mostly on special teams, with seven kick returns for 158 yards. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second-to-last game of last season and had surgery in the offseason. 
 
 The Broncos will hold a full team meeting Tuesday at Dove Valley to discuss McKinley's death. Grief counselors will be available at the facility for any players who want help. 
 
 "Kenny had a promising future on the football field, but more importantly, he was a great teammate whose smile and personality could light up the room," coach Josh McDaniels said in a statement Monday night. "This is a tragic loss for our football team, and his family is in all of our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time." 
 
 An NFL source told The Denver Post that McKinley had been in Atlanta visiting family recently but had returned to Denver on Sunday along with his young son. 
 
 "Kenny, he had a big heart, a love for life. It's just very shocking," said Andrew Bondarowicz, McKinley's agent. "I'm really at a loss for words." 
 
 McKinley finished his collegiate career at the University of South Carolina as the school's career leader in receptions and receiving yards. But he was never able to match his college success in his brief NFL career, in part because of injuries. His second stint on the injured reserve had been particularly difficult. 
 
 "It's a difficult situation, you go from being a super star in college and his pro career has been a challenge," Bondarowicz said. "These guys, they're made of steel on the outside, but for a lot of them, the challenge of being at your best and living up to all the expectations is a difficult situation. Some people are better equipped and have the support system." 
 
 McKinley was also recently in Columbia, S.C., where he watched his alma mater play the University of Georgia on Sept. 11. McKinley holds the South Carolina school records for receptions and receiving yards. He was announced to the crowd at Williams-Brice Stadium and received a large applause. 
 
 "I saw him here. He came to the Georgia game. He seemed in good spirits," South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier told The Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier Monday night. "He had a great smile, like he always had. I don't understand it, if happened the way they say. It's hard to comprehend. 
 
 "Kenny was certainly one of my favorite all-time players," Spurrier added. "He was one of them. He was a wonderful guy. It's hard to figure out how, or why, this happened. He's one of my all-time favorites — everything about him. He had a wonderful smile. It's a sad day." 
 
 Broncos owner Pat Bowlen said in a statement: 
 
 Flowers were left at the Arapahoe County home of Broncos receiver Kenny McKinley on Monday. (John Leyba, The Denver Post ) 
 
 "Everyone with the Broncos is shocked and saddened by the loss of Kenny McKinley. He was part of the Broncos' family and will be greatly missed by our organization. My most heartfelt condolences go out to Kenny's family and friends." 
 
 McKinley is the third active Broncos player to die in the past four years. Running back Damien Nash, 24, collapsed and died after a charity basketball game in December 2007. And cornerback Darrent Williams, 24, was killed in a drive-by shooting on New Year's Day 2007 in Denver. 
 
 Kenny McKinley bio 
 
 Age: 23 
 
 Dimensions: 6-feet, 183 pounds 
 
 College: South Carolina 
 
 Drafted: Fifth round by Denver (141st overall) in the 2009 draft 
 
 NFL highlights: 
 
 Second-year wide receiver who played eight games with the Broncos as a rookie in 2009 
 
 Returned seven kickoffs for 158 yards (22.6 avg.) along with three punts for 32 yards (10.7 avg.) — the only rookie in the NFL to average at least 22 yards on kickoff returns and 10 yards on punt returns in 2009 College highlights: 
 
 Started his final three seasons at the University of South Carolina 
 
 Earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors as a junior in 2007 and honorable mention all-conference accolades as a senior in 2008 
 
 Finished his career at South Carolina with 207 receptions and 2,781 receiving yards ||||| Denver Broncos player Kenny McKinley, University of South Carolina’s all-time leader in receptions and regarded as one of the best players in program history, was found dead in his Denver home this evening. 
 
 Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said authorities were called to McKinley’s home in Centennial on today and found his body in the second-floor master bedroom. He said detectives believe McKinley died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 
 
 AP 
 
 McKinley played at USC from 2005-08 and is the career leader in receptions (207), receiving yards (2,781) and consecutive games with a reception (43). He was drafted by the Broncos in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL draft. 
 
 “It’s hard to comprehend,” USC coach Steve Spurrier said. “Kenny was one of my favorite all-time players. … Wonderful guy. It’s hard to figure how or why it happened. 
 
 “It’s a sad day, a sad day.” 
 
 McKinley attended USC’s game at Georgia last weekend and spoke with athletics director Eric Hyman. 
 
 “I cannot believe this. I’m sick to my stomach,” Hyman said. “He was such a great kid. 
 
 “He was upbeat, positive, happy-go-lucky,” Hyman said of McKinley’s demeanor during their conversation. “Every time you were around him, he had a smile on his face. He was just real positive.” 
 
 Carolina Panthers rookie defensive end Eric Norwood played three years with McKinley at USC. Norwood said he saw McKinley in Atlanta over the summer and did not sense his former teammate was having problems despite his injury woes. McKinley injured his knee halfway through last season and didn’t return; he was placed on injured reserve this season, meaning he wouldn’t have played. 
 
 “I never thought anything of that nature with him, even when he got hurt,” Norwood said. “He was energetic, and he had a positive outlook on things. 
 
 “I was just with him this summer … (he was) like the same old Kenny, give everybody a smile.” 
 
 McKinley played eight games on special teams last season with the Broncos, returning seven kicks for 158 yards and three punts for 32 yards. 
 
 An NFL source told The Denver Post that McKinley had been in Atlanta visiting family recently but had returned to Denver on Sunday. 
 
 He is survived by a young son. 
 
 “Kenny had a promising future on the football field, but more importantly, he was a great teammate whose smile and personality could light up the room,” Denver coach Josh McDaniels said in a statement tonight; he is scheduled to hold a news conference at 2 p.m. today. “This is a tragic loss for our football team, and his family is in all of our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.” 
 
 “Everyone with the Broncos is shocked and saddened by the loss of Kenny McKinley,” Broncos owner Pat Bowlen said. “He was part of the Broncos’ family and will be greatly missed by our organization. My most heartfelt condolences go out to Kenny’s family and friends.” 
 
 Josh Kendall, Neil White, Ron Morris, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, The Associated Press and the Denver Post contributed to this report. ||||| Former Chargers safety Paul Oliver during a game against the Indianapolis Colts in November 2010. (Photo: Michael Conroy, AP) Story Highlights Authorities say Paul Oliver died Tuesday night in Marietta, Ga., of a self-inflicted gunshot 
 
 Former teammate says Oliver, a married father of two children, was 'happiest guy ever.' 
 
 Oliver starred at Georgia before Chargers drafted him in fourth round of 2007 supplemental draft 
 
 Former San Diego Chargers defensive back Paul Oliver died from a self-inflicted gunshot in Marietta, Ga., on Tuesday night, authorities said, leaving his former teammates and coaches stunned and wondering what had happened to the 29-year-old who last played in the NFL two years ago. 
 
 Oliver played for the Chargers from 2007-11, where he was a teammate of Quentin Jammer, now with the Denver Broncos. 
 
 "He was a good friend of mine. Great guy. Great guy," Jammer told USA TODAY Sports. "I mean, the early reports were that he committed suicide, and he just didn't seem like that type of guy. You never know what somebody is going through, what's going on in somebody's life." 
 
 "I hadn't talked to him in a while. I wish now I could reach out to him. If I'd have known," Jammer said, his voice trailing off. 
 
 Oliver killed himself with a handgun at about 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, said Mike Bowman, public information officer for the Cobb County Police Department, though Bowman said Wednesday he did not know the location of the wound. 
 
 Jammer recalled Oliver as a talented player whom the Chargers converted to safety after Oliver arrived in San Diego in 2007. The Chargers released Oliver in the 2011 offseason, but re-signed him later that year because of injuries to other players. Oliver also spent time with the New Orleans Saints. 
 
 Chargers free safety Eric Weddle, another of Oliver's close friends on the team, said he was "devastated." 
 
 "I thought about it all practice," he said. "Words can't really express how as an ex-teammate — I was with him for five years — you have so many memories and so many thoughts. Football was the last thing I was thinking about out there today. It's unfortunate. You feel for his family and his two kids." 
 
 Weddle said he talked to Oliver about a year ago. "Wish I would have reached out to him more and helped him in some way," he said. 
 
 The Chargers selected Oliver in the fourth round of the 2007 supplemental draft, and he played in 57 games, with 12 starts. He became a free agent in 2012. 
 
 "Everyone in the Chargers family is sad today after hearing the news about Paul," the team said in a statement. "He was part of our family for five years. At just 29 years old, he had a lifetime in front of him." 
 
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 Georgia star 
 
 Oliver was a star cornerback for the University of Georgia, where he had seven interceptions, 114 tackles and three sacks during his three seasons in Athens. He turned pro and entered the supplemental draft after he was ruled academically ineligible before the 2007 season. 
 
 Georgia coach Mark Richt described Oliver's death as "heartbreaking" on a conference call Wednesday morning. 
 
 "I was crushed this morning when I heard it, quite frankly," Richt said. "I haven' t been able to keep it off my mind, to be honest with you. We have to find a way to reach out and help any way we can." 
 
 A native of Kennesaw, Ga., and graduate of Harrison High School, Oliver redshirted his freshman year before playing the 2004-06 seasons for the Bulldogs. 
 
 One of Oliver's college highlights came in the 2006 Georgia-Georgia Tech game, when he held receiver Calvin Johnson – now a Pro Bowl player with the Detroit Lions – to two catches for 13 yards and had an interception in the final minute to seal a 15-12 win for the Bulldogs. 
 
 Oliver's death hits a Chargers franchise still reeling from the 2012 suicide of Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau, who played 20 seasons in the NFL and shot himself in the chest at age 43. A study of Seau's brain revealed he had suffered from a chronic degenerative brain disease. 
 
 Jammer, who played for the Chargers from 200-2012, just shook his head as he was asked about another Chargers' tragedy. 
 
 "I'm still waiting around to see what the truth is. Committing suicide, no one really knows, except maybe his family," Jammer said. 
 
 It is also another tragedy for the Cobb County football community. Kenny McKinley, the former Denver Broncos wide receiver from Mableton, Ga., died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2009 at age 23. 
 
 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Wednesday that McKinley and Oliver faced each other twice in high school. Their college teams also played twice when McKinley was at South Carolina and Oliver at Georgia. 
 
 'A fun guy' 
 
 The Chargers' Weddle recalled Oliver as the "happiest guy ever. Just a joy to be around. Funny. Charismatic. Worked his tail off. Also quiet, reserved, at the same time. Justa great teammate and great friend. Great person. Never once said something bad about anyone." 
 
 "He was just a fun guy to be around. You could always count on him on the field and off." 
 
 Tight end Antonio Gates also remembered laughing with Oliver. 
 
 "You feel fortunate to be a part of his life the time he was here. I would never expect a guy like that to do certain things or make those type of judgments about life. It makes you appreciate life, makes you appreciate your family and kids. You just never know. Life is so short." 
 
 Oliver is survived by his wife, the former Chelsea Young, and two children. Funeral arrangements have not been finalized. 
 
 Contributing: Gary Mihoces; Forrest Lee in San Diego.
– Denver Broncos wide receiver Kenny McKinley has been found dead at his home from what police believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The 23-year-old athlete, who had been on the team's injured reserve list since early August with a knee injury, had recently returned from a visit to family in Atlanta with his young son, an NFL source tells the the Denver Post. McKinley had also recently been in South Carolina, where he was the Gamecocks' all-time leading receiver. "Kenny was certainly one of my favorite all-time players,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier told the Post and Courier. “He was one of them. He was a wonderful guy. It’s hard to figure out how, or why, this happened." McKinley is the third active Broncos player to die in the last four years.