SARASOTA – One was a running back, the other a cornerback. But brothers Brian and Tommie Battie shared the same infectious smile.
But there are no smiles today.
The former Sarasota High and Braden River High standouts were victims in a shooting at 3:30 a.m. Saturday in the 3400 block of 17th Street in Sarasota, according to Sarasota County sheriff deputies and other sources.
Tommie Battie IV, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene. Brian Battie, 22, a running back at Auburn, was shot and is in critical condition at a local hospital, according to a source familiar with the incident.
Deputies who initially responded to the Tallywood Centre Plaza witnessed a large crowd with multiple shooting victims in the parking lot. Three additional victims were transported to local hospitals in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
After three seasons at South Florida during which Brian Battie rushed for 1,842 yards and 10 touchdowns, he transferred to Auburn for the 2023 season. He rushed 51 times for 227 yards and a score, but it was as a kickoff returner that Battie provided his real value. He returned 29 for 645 yards.
As a senior at Sarasota High in 2019, Battie did a lot more than return kicks. After rushing for 2,133 yards for the Pirates in 2018, Battie transferred to Sarasota after his dad, who also attended Sarasota, got an assistant’s position on the staff of head coach Spencer Hodges. Though hobbled by a turf toe he suffered as a junior, Battie still rushed for 1,182 yards and 16 touchdowns.
“In my opinion, he was the most talented player I’ve ever coached,” said Brody Wiseman, the Sailors’ offensive coordinator for Battie’s senior season. “He was a two-time All-American in college. You don’t find that too often. He had an amazing burst. His ability to accelerate was better than anybody I’ve seen. He could cut on a dime. And he was a really hard worker. I think a lot of people missed that.”
The Sailors limited Battie’s carries as a senior to protect the turf toe, but Wiseman said he gutted it out.
“He was just a tough kid,” he said. “And he really cared about his teammates. He never acted like he was more important than anybody else. On the field, he had great vision. He would see a hole and just hit it a million miles an hour, and he was gone. I never saw anyone tackle him one-on-one. It was always the second and third guy.”
With USF coming off a 1-11 season, and thinking he’d have a better chance at Auburn of playing in the NFL, Battie transferred. “I think he wanted to put himself in a position to show that he could play in the NFL,” Wiseman said.
Tommie Battie’s coach at Braden River Curt Bradley was crushed after learning of his death.
“There are no words that can bring the comfort necessary, but we are a family that believes in the power of prayer,” he said. “We will be praying and believing for Brian to make a full recovery, and for the Battie family to know that Tommie’s impact will be forever felt in this community.”
Tommie Battie’s football career did not extend beyond high school but he played cornerback at Sarasota and Braden River.