Former South Carolina Gamecocks basketball player Eric Cobb was arrested this week in Florida after allegedly killing his mother.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, officers responded to a distressing scene on Monday, Feb. 10, where they found 51-year-old Erika Winford with a gunshot wound. She was unresponsive and had been wrapped in a blanket and towels in the backyard.
Authorities arrested Cobb, 28, as he attempted to leave the Jacksonville home. Jail records indicate he has been charged with second-degree murder and was denied bond.
A Jacksonville native, Cobb was a highly regarded basketball prospect in high school and began his college career at the University of South Carolina. However, he played just one season for the Gamecocks in 2015-16 before being dismissed from the team following an arrest for allegedly shooting a BB gun at a car in downtown Columbia. In his lone season with South Carolina, he appeared in 24 games, averaging 1.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game, with his best performance being a six-point outing against Oral Roberts.
After leaving South Carolina, Cobb played at Chipola College in Florida before transferring to the University of Connecticut, where he played limited minutes during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
CBS affiliate Action News Jax reported that Cobb had prior legal issues, including an October 2023 arrest for assaulting an officer and resisting arrest. Additionally, an arrest report revealed that in the days leading up to her death, Winford had expressed concerns that her son was “possessed” and in need of medication.