"Thank God he's still here," his grandmother Margie Cason, who helped raise Brinkley, told the Daily News. "It's pretty serious but not life-threatening. Most of the time with things like this, the family never gets to see that person again. That is a blessing in itself."
Cheltenham police said that Brinkley, 23, was stopped in his car at the intersection of Spring Avenue and Ashbourne Road when the gunman started firing at about 12:02 a.m. Brinkley reportedly pressed the accelerator to escape and was at a safe location when police - who were in the area and heard the gunshots - found him.
"I was just with him," Cason said. "We were sitting there at 11:45 and his sister [Niveka Cason] called to see if he could pick her up in Elkins Park. She cares for mentally challenged people. The first bullet went through the windshield and he was just stunned."
The gunman fled in a waiting car. Cheltenham police are seeking a black male with light complexion of medium height and build who was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans.
"We aren't sure if the person was trying to rob him or it was a case of mistaken identity," Cason said. "The strange thing is that he wasn't in his car, he was using someone else's car. Maybe they were trying to steal his car."
Brinkley's great-uncle, Greg Brinkley, said his nephew "never had any reason to think this would happen."
Police reported no suspects and knew of no motive.
Tipsters can call Cheltenham police at 215-885-1600.
Brinkley might be sent home later this weekend. His football career, however, may be in jeopardy.
A sports-medicine doctor will need to flush out the bone fragments in his back, and his shoulder will take at least six to eight weeks to heal.
