Texans WR Tank Dell speaks publicly for first time since shooting

Tank Dell is finally telling his side of the story of the incident that occurred last in Florida.

Tank Dell is finally telling his side of the story. 

Dell, who just over a month ago was shot as a bystander during an altercation at a bar while visiting family in Florida, spoke on the night during a recent interview alongside Houston Texans Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud on an episode of Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast with podcast hosts Gillie Da King and Wallo. 

During the interview, Dell mentioned that it was just a ‘wrong place at the wrong time moment‘ and that he’s thankful it wasn’t a more serious injury. 

“I went back to see my mom, I wasn’t even planning to go back and go to the little pool party or whatever, but my boy found out I was home and hit me up. He was like pull up to the party,” Dell said. “They told me there was going to be security, people getting checked at the door, stuff like that, so I said cool, it’s a good vibe and there were a lot of people that I knew in there, so it was cool. Then, that just popped off out of nowhere. It just went south out of nowhere.”

During the middle of an altercation at a private bar in Sanford, Florida, before someone opened fire into the crowd. All 10 individuals shot were given immediate medical treatment and are expected to make a full recovery. 

Surveillance footage from the club showed Dell was trying to get away from the altercation but inadvertently ran in between the two people who were arguing.

“I thought I removed myself from the situation from the little altercation of where they were fighting but I put myself in the middle of two people, and it just went crazy,” Dell said.

Stroud, who also appeared on the podcast, said he heard Dell was shot during Game 4 of the 76ers-Knicks series while in Philadelphia. While sitting courtside, a member of the Texans’ staff sent him a message, letting him know of the incident. 

“He sent like a whole long paragraph, all I remember is Tank got shot and I dropped my phone, and I started tearing up, man,” Stroud said. “When you hear that, you’re thinking the worst. First thing, I did, I just said a prayer.”

Stroud said the moment served as a moment for players to remember what type of trouble they could put themselves in when found at the wrong place.

“Sometimes when I go home, that’s where I’m comfortable at, going to the pool parties, going to the bowling alleys or the skating rinks or the house parties,” Stroud said. “This is the people I grew up with. I haven’t changed just because I got a little bit of money, but for that moment to happen that quick, it was like an eye-opening experience, not only for Tank but really for the rest of the world, athletes all around.”

Dell broke out as a rookie last season, helping Houston secure its first postseason berth since 2019. A third-round pick out of Houston, Dell caught 47 passes for 709 yards and seven touchdowns before suffering a season-ending leg injury in early December. 

After being on pace for over 1,000 yards last season, Dell has goals he hopes to break, including hitting the 1K marker. Anything else? Try double-digit touchdowns.