And it’s not surprising, he added, that athletes increasingly find themselves robbery targets.

“They’ve got the toys that the burglar wants,” Peterson said. “They’ve got the flatscreen TVs. They’ve got the right stereo systems, the right video games, the right jewelry. A burglar from the streets would much rather be robbing someone like Sean Taylor ... than some old couple across the street who’s not going to have those type of things.”

Sometimes, the crime goes beyond material things.

In the early morning hours of Jan. 1, Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was killed after leaving a Denver nightclub, his limousine sprayed with bullets in a drive-by shooting that apparently stemmed from an altercation in the club between people in his party and gang members.

Peterson said athletes are especially vulnerable when they go out in public, and he feels many are unfairly labeled as instigators when they’re often just trying to defend themselves.

“Unless you’re a hermit, you want to go out to clubs, you want to hang out and party,” the professor said. “When they go to a club in an urban area, there’s all these different hustlers, all these different gang members. They see these (athletes) ballin’, and they’re jealous. They want to test them. They think they’re soft because they got their money legally.”

But again, money isn’t always at the root of the crime.

Just over a year ago, Miami Hurricanes football star Bryan Pata was gunned down outside his off-campus apartment, and that case remains unsolved. A couple of months before that, five Duquesne basketball players were shot after an on-campus party, allegedly by the jealous friends of a woman who was flirting with one of the players. Fortunately, all survived.

“Jealousy is a powerful motivator,” said Jay Granat, a New Jersey-based psychotherapist who has worked with thousands of athletes. “A lot of people commit crimes because of jealousy and envy.”

What’s an athlete to do?

Bodyguards are an obvious consideration, and many top players already have one or two on the payroll. Some athletes are taking matters into their own hands, whether it’s buying a gun or simply being more guarded when they’re out in public.

Fred Taylor has conditioned himself to keep an eye on the rearview mirror whenever he stops at a traffic signal. Milwaukee Bucks forward Desmond Mason also is always wary that someone might be following his vehicle.

“If I see a car behind me for a while, I take them on a joy ride,” Mason said. “If they want to get me, they’ve got to stop me.”

He keeps his guard up in other ways, too.

“Be careful who you invite to your home. Be careful what you talk about or who you talk around. Don’t tell people where you stay,” said Mason, who signed a two-year deal worth about $11 million before this season. “They’re simple things, but sometimes when you’re out, you’re having a drink or you’re at a dinner or something like that and people ask you about the area you stay in. You’re talking casually, but maybe somebody at the next table heard you.”

For a chilling glimpse at what the future could hold, look to South America. In countries such as Venezuela, home to dozens of major leaguer baseball players, the families of wealthy athletes often are targeted for kidnappings in hopes of getting a hefty ransom. The mother of former pitcher Ugueth Urbina spent more than five months in captivity until she was rescued.

While that sort of crime has not yet happened in the United States, Atlanta Falcons receiver Joe Horn is taking no chances. He goes out in public with a security guard, and he makes sure his family is protected, too.

“When you’re blessed to make the money we make, you buy the best of the best,” he said. “You hire a security guard 24 hours a day if you have to, to watch over your family and your children. You never know when someone might have that opportunity.”

Teams and leagues have stepped up security and try to keep players advised of the best ways to keep themselves safe. After Williams was gunned down in Denver, the Broncos hired guards to keep an eye on everyone who enters their training facility. Also, all members of the media must wear ID badges to get into the locker room for interviews.

Still, it’s not enough to make a player feel totally safe. Although the NFL has stepped up its sanctions against players for off-the-field problems, Antonio Pierce said it’s time to spend more time finding ways to keep them out of harm’s way.

“Something different than all these worries about guys having guns and stuff like that,” said Pierce, a New York Giants linebacker. “I’m not saying you need to have a gun at home with you. I am just saying we need protection, too.”

Even when an athlete does everything right, there are no guarantees.

Everyone is vulnerable. Anyone can be a victim.

“I don’t have a bodyguard right now,” Wallace said. “I might have a bodyguard tomorrow, though.”

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