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Ex-Florida Gators captain Tony Joiner charged with murder

Aaron Hernandez’s former UF teammate is the second player from the ’07 team to be accused of murder.
 
Florida Gators safety Tony Joiner (19) yells at the crowd at Baton Rouge against LSU. (TIMES 2007)
Florida Gators safety Tony Joiner (19) yells at the crowd at Baton Rouge against LSU. (TIMES 2007)
Published June 9, 2019

A second member of the Florida Gators’ 2007 team has been charged with murder.

Former UF safety and team captain Tony Joiner faces a second-degree murder charge from the 2016 death of his wife, Heyzel Obando, according to the Fort Myers News-Press. The paper reported that Joiner was previously arrested twice on complaints that he beat Obando.

The 33-year-old Joiner was booked in the Polk County jail on Saturday, according to jail records.

Joiner appeared in 47 games with 27 starts for UF from 2004-07. He led UF defensive backs with 59 tackles during the 2006 national championship run, and he recorded a tackle and pass breakup in the win over Ohio State in the BCS title game.

He was the captain of the ’07 team that also featured Aaron Hernandez, who became a star tight end who was convicted of murder in 2015. He killed himself in jail two years later.

Joiner’s arrest is the latest off-field mark on Urban Meyer’s tenure in Gainesville. His time at UF included two national championships but more than two dozen arrests and now a second former player charged with murder.

Related: READ MORE: Urban Meyer had a mess as Gators coach