Mardy Gilyard: 'I'm not shook up'

Robbed at gunpoint Monday night near the University of Cincinnati campus, St. Louis Rams rookie wide receiver Mardy Gilyard said he won’t let the incident intimidate him or shake his faith in people.

“I’m the same cat,” Gilyard told National Football Post tonight. “I’m not shook up or nothing like that, just mad. I’m just glad I get to go to training camp. I had that thing pointed at my head. I could have been paralyzed or brain dead or killed. I’m truly blessed to still be here talking to you."

A .38 revolver was pointed at Gilyard’s head.

The Rams’ fourth-round draft pick was returning from a fishing trip on Lake Erie with his brother, Antonio, and friend, Terry Hobbs, when two armed robbers took away $300 in cash and jewelry worth $1,000, according to a police report.

No one was harmed in the episode, which occurred at a gas station at 9:30 p.m. when Gilyard stopped for gasoline and snacks.

Did Gilyard think he was targeted?

“I’m not sure,” he said. “I bet they know now. If they watch the news, they know who they robbed now. When it happened, I was like, ‘C’mon, man. What do you want, bro?’ I was like, ‘Dude, are you serious?’

"This isn’t like robbing a normal civilian. He robbed a celebrity. Millions of people are going to know what happened.”

The robbers demanded that that Gilyard give up his white-gold necklace.

At first, the robber wanted the keys to Gilyard’s 2010 Camaro sports car.

His brother was inside, asleep at the time.

“My brother was very scared,” Gilyard said. “He could have been kidnapped.”

Gilyard said he has never been a victim of a crime before.

Now, he travels with a bodyguard.

“I didn’t need one before,” said Gilyard, who caught 87 passes for 1,191 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. “Bad stuff can happen to good people. I can be a target so I have to take precautions. It sucks what happened, but I’ll be more aware of my surroundings and be extra careful.”

Gilyard met with police earlier today. One of the suspects is a black man who’s roughly 5-foot-7, 185 pounds.

“I know they’ll do their hardest to try to catch them,” Gilyard said. “I know the police work very hard and are going to do everything they can.”

Gilyard said he’s looking forward to getting back on the football field.

He’s relieved that he’s only lost money and not something much more valuable: his life.

“It’s not going to change my swagger or take the spunk out of me,” Gilyard said. “In the long run, I’m blessed. God has a plan. I just keep on pushing.”

Follow me on Twitter: RavensInsider