Former Badger WR Kraig Appleton Shot Multiple Times

Former Badgers wide receiver Kraig Appleton was reportedly shot multiple times in an incident in his hometown of East Saint Louis, Ill. around 2 a.m. on Saturday.

The KMOV.com report says Appleton, 20, is listed in stable condition. Police have not released further details and the investigation is ongoing.

Appleton was a four-star wide receiver recruit coming out of high school and one of the most highly regarded players in the 2009 freshman class for the Badgers. He played sparingly in his freshman season at Wisconsin, recording just three catches for 26 yards.

In February 2010, Appleton and two other Wisconsin students were suspended from the team for an alleged violation of team rules. Details of the incident were never released, but rumors spread quickly on message boards. Appleton left the school shortly after the suspension was handed down. It was reported that he was also not in good academic standing with the university.

Last fall, Appleton reportedly reached out to coach Bret Bielema to see if he could rejoin the team. Bielema did not close the door altogether, but did say Appleton would have to go to junior college for a year to be academically eligible. Though Appleton posted messages on his Facebook page that seemed to indicate he thought he was going to be a Badger once again, it appeared to be a long shot scenario at best. No updates on Appleton’s status have been given since last fall and all indications are that his time as a Badger are over.

The incident Saturday is another unfortunate turn for the talented athlete. We wish him the best in his recovery and his future.