GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -It could happen near Miami, where Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor died after being shot during a robbery at his home last year.
Or in the Chicago area, where NBA stars Antoine Walker and Eddie Curry were robbed in home invasions last year and newly drafted NFL rookie Rashard Mendenhall was robbed last month.
But in Green Bay?
This week's revelation that Packers running back Noah Herron had to use a bed post to fight off an intruder in his home over the weekend was another sign that professional athletes aren't immune to crime, even in the NFL's small-town haven.
``This is a place where you can leave your door open if you want to,'' Packers cornerback Al Harris said. ``But there are some bad apples. I hate that Noah had to go through this or anybody would have to go through this type of thing.''
Herron was back on the practice field for the Packers' voluntary Organized Team Activity session Wednesday, but declined interview requests through a team spokesman. Packers coach Mike McCarthy asked reporters to give Herron some space.
``We've talked about it a lot as a football team,'' McCarthy said. ``Noah is going through a tough time, and we're supporting him and I'd like to leave it at that, and I hope you guys can respect that.''
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, one of Herron's closest friends on the team, said Herron was having a hard time handling the incident.
``I'd be really shaken up too, if something like that happened to me,'' Rodgers said. ``I think he's handling it well. As well as you can.''
Cornerback Charles Woodson said it would likely make Packers players more conscious about their safety, although he didn't see much of a connection between the incident at Herron's home and other recent crimes involving higher-profile athletes in other cities.
``I just think his case, it wasn't a situation where he was targeted,'' Woodson said. ``I think it was just a couple guys that, that's what they did, is they went around and did that type of thing. It's unfortunate. But our teammate, he acted responsibly, he called the authorities and tried to get the thing handled.''
Brown County Sheriff Dennis Kocken said Tuesday that the force Herron used to defend himself was ``necessary, reasonable and justifiable.''
According to police, Herron called at 11:19 p.m. Friday after he heard glass breaking in the lower level of his suburban Green Bay home and said an unknown number of people had entered the house. One of the intruders entered Herron's bedroom, and Herron hit the person with a post he had unscrewed from his bed.
The injured suspect was taken to a hospital, and a second suspect was arrested outside the home. The two people in custody are suspects in numerous burglaries and home invasions throughout Brown County, police said.
``I've been here 10 years, and I've never heard of anything going on,'' Packers receiver Donald Driver said. ``But I guess there's a first time for everything, and it's starting here and I'm hoping they can fix it and change it.''
Center Scott Wells said that while such crimes might be more common in larger cities, Herron's incident was another reminder that it can happen anywhere.
``Crime really has no boundaries,'' Wells said. ``They'll go where the money is. They'll find it. If people want to break in, they're not going to stay in one area. It just lets you know - be smart. It really hit home with me because I have kids. You really have to take the necessary precautions to try to stay secure.''
Driver said the incident should be a reminder to everyone that crimes can happen anywhere.
``You can be on a playground - ain't nothing safe,'' Driver said. ``So it doesn't matter what you're doing. I think the world is crazy and I don't think it's ever going to be safe. You've still got to protect yourself one way or another.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
