Allegations: Bryan Pata
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Nevin Shapiro on Pata: Play audio
Miami booster Nevin Shapiro alleges he provided multiple extra benefits to Bryan Pata over the course of his career. Among the benefits he claimed to have provided:
- Bryan Pata
Position: Defensive tackle
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Rivals recruiting rank: Ranked as the No. 11 defensive tackle in the Class of 2003.
Miami career: A rotational player and occasional starter during four seasons with the Hurricanes, Pata had developed into a potential NFL draft pick as a senior. He was shot and killed on Nov. 7, 2006, prior to the finish of his final season. His death remains unsolved.
• Trips to nightclubs where Shapiro paid for VIP access and drinks on multiple occasions.
• Drinks and VIP access in nightclubs on multiple occasions, including a May 2005 event at Mansion nightclub featuring Jay Z.
• Meals at Miami-area restaurants including an August 2006 at dinner at Italian eatery Grazie.
• At least one trip to the Pink Pony strip club where Shapiro paid for private VIP entertainment.
• Food, drinks and entertainment at Shapiro's $2.7 million Miami Beach home on multiple occasions.
• Multiple cash gifts.
Corroborating accounts
• Two sources corroborated Shapiro entertaining Pata with drinks and VIP access in nightclubs. One such incident included a May 2005 Mansion nightclub event featuring Jay Z. Yahoo! Sports also acquired Shapiro's May 2005 credit card statement, showing a charge to Mansion nightclub on a day Jay Z performed at the club.
• Yahoo! Sports acquired Shapiro's August 2006 American Express Platinum card statement showing a charge of $926.50 for the Grazie dinner Shapiro said was attended by Pata and multiple players.
• One source corroborated Shapiro having given Pata multiple cash gifts.
In Shapiro's words
• "Bryan was present at a lot of nightclubs with me. He was really close with Willie Williams. I think Willie came the year after Bryan got [to Miami]. I remember Bryan specifically went with me to the Pink Pony at a time when he was in a soft cast on his ankle. I think he missed a game or two. I just remember him hopping around on a soft cast."
• "He was at my house a number of times. I gave him cash a number of times to put food in his mom's refrigerator. He called me the night before he was shot and killed. It was around 8 o'clock the night before. I think he was on his way to Lucky Strike. He wanted directions. I just told him to call for information. That was it. I never spoke to him again."
This page from Nevin Shapiro's August 2006 American Express Platinum card statement shows a charge of $926.50 that the booster identified as a preseason dinner at Miami Beach eatery Grazie. Shapiro said he attended the dinner and paid for the meals of seven players: Randy Phillips, Calais Campbell, Bryan Pata, Eric Moncur, Courtney Harris, Anthony Reddick and Reggie Youngblood. An employee from Grazie declined to give specific accounts of meals but confirmed to Yahoo! Sports that Shapiro regularly brought Hurricanes players into the eatery to dine. PDF file
This page from Nevin Shapiro's May 2005 American Express black card statement shows a bill of $9,738 for Mansion nightclub on May 14, 2005. The booster identified the night as a Jay Z appearance at the nightclub, in which Shapiro hosted a large group of players in his VIP section and made "more than a dozen" bottles of champagne and multiple bottles of high-end liquor available in his section. One former Miami football player corroborated the event, including his attendance and that of several other players. Shapiro alleged a large contingent of Miami players partied in his VIP area, including Jon Beason, Tavares Gooden, Rocky McIntosh, Brian Monroe, James Bryant, Bryan Pata and Willie Williams. PDF file
Pata is deceased.
