Former NFL Star Shawne Merriman Okay After Nightclub OD: Ex-Boyfriend Of Tila Tequila Tweets That His Shirt Was Ruined

Shawne "Lights Out" Merriman, the former linebacker for the Chargers and the Bills, says he is doing alright after he was hospitalized on Sunday night. Reports said the NFL star overdosed in a Hollywood nightclub. Authorities described the incident as a “medical emergency,” according to published reports.

Merriman, who was once one of the NFL's most feared defensive players, has been active Twitter. His only complaint is that the shirt he was wearing was ruined. Merriman is believed to have overdosed on an unknown combination of alcohol and drugs.

Shawne Merriman, the 2005 Defensive Rookie of the Year, was hospitalized on Sunday night after experiencing a “medical emergency" in a Hollywood nightclub, according to published reports.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Merriman was rushed by ambulance from the nightspot The Colony to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center around 9:30 p.m. At first the LA Times investigator, Andrew Blankstein, reported that authorities wouldn’t give reasons for the emergency medical call. Later he tweeted that, “Merriman overdosed, ingested unspecified combo of alcohol-drug.”

Last Tuesday, Merriman, whose nine year NFL career has been plagued with injuries, announced his retirement. He said on his website: "I retire today not because I don't feel I can go out there and still play the game at a very high level, I am retiring because I want to retire on my own terms and leave while I know I can still physically play the game. I am stepping back to pursue other great opportunities that have been afforded me."

Merriman was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in 2005. He made his first of three Pro Balls, won the 2005 Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and racked up 10 sacks in 15 games in his first professional year. In his second year he racked up 17 sacks in twelve games, an NFL high. Injuries forced Merriman to miss all but one game in the 2008 season. Merriman made four sacks in 2009.

A few years ago Merriman made headlines off the grid when he was arrested for allegedly choking and restraining his girlfriend, reality TV star and singer, Tila Tequila.

 by Tony Sokol