March 3 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Coast Guard suspended at sunset its search for two National Football League players and a third man lost in the Gulf of Mexico after their boat capsized nearly three days ago.

“We’d like to send our prayers and heartfelt condolences to the families of the three missing men,” Captain Timothy Close, the Coast Guard commander in St. Petersburg, Florida, said in a statement.

The boat carrying Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, NFL free agent Corey Smith and former University of South Florida tight end Will Bleakley on a fishing trip capsized as the anchor was being raised in stormy seas off Clearwater, Florida, survivor Nick Schuyler told the Coast Guard.

At about 3 p.m. today, a life jacket and a cooler were found about 16 miles southeast of where the boat and Schuyler were located yesterday, Close said.

The Coast Guard conducted more than 50 missions, searching an equivalent of more than 24,000 square miles (6,216 hectares) of ocean before calling an end to the rescue efforts, according to Close. The water temperature was 61 degrees Fahrenheit (16 Celsius).

The Coast Guard was able to refine its search after Schuyler, conscious and wearing a life jacket, was found yesterday clinging to the overturned craft about 39 miles (63 kilometers) offshore. He was taken to a Tampa, Florida, hospital.

Life Vests

Schuyler was “very exhausted and somewhat groggy” during his conversation yesterday with the Coast Guard, Close said earlier today. The survivor told authorities the four men weren’t wearing life jackets when the 21-foot boat flipped at around 5 p.m. New York time on Feb. 28 but immediately swam under the boat and were able to don the vests, Close said.

“We haven’t been able to have any more detailed conversations with Mr. Schuyler due to his physical and medical conditions,” Close said in his final news briefing before suspending the case.

Bleakley was with South Florida in 2004-06, while Schuyler was a walk-on defensive end for the team in 2006 and never played in a game, the school said.

“He said, ‘Mom, I kept saying you’re not going to my funeral,’” Schuyler’s mother, Marsha, said in a televised interview yesterday.

Smith, 29, played defensive end for the Detroit Lions last season. He and Cooper, 26, were NFL teammates on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004.

‘Loves the Water’

Cooper owned the boat, which he and Smith had used on previous fishing trips, Ron Del Duca, Smith’s agent, told the Associated Press.

“He just loves the water, loves fishing,” Bruce Cooper, Marquis Cooper’s father, said in a video posted on ESPN.com. “So it’s not surprising that he went out deep-sea fishing. He does it any opportunity he gets.”

Smith had 30 tackles, a career-high three sacks and an interception last season as the Lions became the first team in NFL history to finish 0-16. He also played with the Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers during his six-year NFL career.

“Today’s news is a sobering reminder about how truly precious and fragile life can be,” the Lions said on their Web site. “We will continue to pray for a miracle, though we fully understand and respect the decision of the Coast Guard.”

Cooper appeared in eight games for the Raiders last season, totaling five tackles. He also played with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay since breaking into the NFL in 2004.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mason Levinson in New York at mlevinson@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: March 3, 2009 20:07 EST