Two Missing Boaters Still Not Found

This is a scary story that has gotten worse today.  Two NFL players were out on a fishing trip in a boat off the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday morning.  Expected to return that evening, they never did.  A Coast Guard search today did not find either of them.

The players were Corey Smith and Marquis Cooper.  Smith is a newly acquired defensive end for Detroit.  Cooper is a linebacker for Oakland.  The two were teammates in Tampa Bay.  Also on the boat were two men who used to play football at the University of South Florida.  Officials with the Coast Guard said today was an better day to search for both of them because the high winds and high sea calmed since Saturday.  However, it was still not a good day to search, they admitted.

The Coast Guard reported today it had received no distress signal from the fishing boat, although that doesn't mean the men didn't send one.  Experts say the boat was a bit small for the type of weather they were experiencing, causing the journey to be more dangerous.  However, Smith and Cooper apparently have been going on fishing trips regularly since 2004.

Here's to hoping they are found.