After 2 1/2 days of searching Florida waters, the Coast Guard has ended its search for three missing boaters, which included two NFL players.

On Monday (March 2), U.S. Coast Guard found one survivor (Nick Schuyler) clinging to an overturned boat off the coast of Florida, while three others -- including Corey Smith of the Detroit Lions, Marquis Cooper of the Oakland Raiders, and William Bleakley, a former Florida college football player -- were nowhere in sight.

"We're extremely confident that if there are any survivors on the surface of the water that we would have found them," Coast Guard Captain Timothy Close said at a news conference, reports the Washington Post.

The four men had taken Cooper's boat out to sea over the weekend for a day of fishing, but after they didn't return on Saturday night (February 28), their families became worried.

According to Schuyler, the survivor, a large wave overturned their boat, leaving the men clinging on for dear life. However, he was the only man to hold on until the Coast Guard found their vessel.

"My heart still goes out to the other guys," he said Monday. "We're praying for them."

Corey Smith has played seven NFL seasons, with the last three being with the Detroit Lions. He spent his first 2 1/2 seasons with Tampa Bay -- where he and Cooper were teammates -- then played for San Francisco.