Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson and two former school soccer gamers have been killed in a automobile crash in a single day, in keeping with Maryland State Police. Jackson was 24.
Jackson died after a three-car crash that occurred at 3:14 a.m. Saturday in Prince George’s County, in keeping with police. Isaiah Hazel and Anthony Lytton Jr. — the 2 former gamers who have been highschool teammates of Jackson’s — have been additionally killed within the crash, police mentioned.
Hazel, 23, performed at Maryland and Charlotte, whereas Lytton, 24, performed at Florida State and Penn State.
Police mentioned Hazel was driving a Dodge Charger with Jackson within the passenger seat when their automobile was struck by an Infiniti Q50 making an attempt to alter lanes at a excessive pace. The Charger left the highway and struck a number of tree stumps.
Based on police, Jackson and Hazel have been pronounced lifeless on the scene, whereas Lytton was transported to a hospital earlier than being pronounced lifeless by hospital personnel.
Neither the driving force of the Infiniti Q50 nor her two passengers or the driving force of the third automobile was injured. Investigators consider alcohol might have performed a job within the crash, police mentioned, including that prices are pending.
Jackson was chosen by the Vikings within the fourth spherical of this yr’s draft and had been thought of a contender to start out at cornerback.
“We’re devastated by the information of Khyree Jackson’s demise following an in a single day automobile accident,” the Vikings mentioned in a press release. “Our ideas are with Khyree’s household, associates, teammates and coaches, in addition to all of the victims of this tragic accident.”
Jackson performed his last season of faculty soccer at Oregon, and Geese coach Dan Lanning was amongst these paying tribute to Jackson on social media.
RIP Khyree… Love you @Real_Khyree confused. I’ll miss your smile. Nice participant higher particular person.
— Dan Lanning (@CoachDanLanning) July 6, 2024
He was an all-Pac-12 first-team choice for Oregon in 2023. Earlier than becoming a member of the Geese, Jackson performed two seasons at Alabama below coach Nick Saban. He had give up soccer at one level after highschool earlier than returning to the game at a group school and ascending to the Division I degree.
“I’m completely crushed by this information,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell mentioned in a press release. “Khyree introduced a contagious vitality to our facility and our workforce. His confidence and interesting persona instantly drew his teammates to him. In our quick time collectively, it was evident Khyree was going to turn into an incredible skilled soccer participant, however what was extra spectacular was his need to develop into the most effective particular person he could possibly be for his household and people round him. I’m confused. My coronary heart goes out to Khyree’s household, associates, teammates and coaches.”
Jackson grew to become an prompt favourite amongst Vikings followers after he described his lengthy journey from highschool to the NFL draft. Talking to Minnesota reporters after the draft, he mentioned he was a non-qualifier after graduating from Sensible [Maryland] Excessive College in 2017. He frolicked at three completely different junior faculties, whereas taking two seasons away from the sport, earlier than touchdown at Alabama in 2021.
Throughout that interim, he mentioned, he labored within the deli at a Harris Teeter grocery retailer and at one level received an award for worker of the month. “I advised my mother and one cut-off date, ‘I assume I am about to be working at a grocery retailer,'” he mentioned. Later he gave severe thought to becoming a member of the NBA 2K league.
“Once I ended up leaving my first junior school,” he mentioned, “I used to be dwelling for about six months however I advised my associates that I used to be nonetheless in class. I stayed at my home for six straight months and no person knew. It was type of consuming away at me after which I lastly simply ultimately advised my associates. That second actually advised me, like, man, if I used to be embarrassed to even inform them, I would need to get out and attempt to do it once more as an alternative of sitting right here and sulking.”
Of his journey to Energy 5 soccer and ultimately the NFL, Jackson mentioned he had no regrets.
“I would not change it for the world although,” he mentioned. “I really feel prefer it taught me plenty of perseverance. It helped flip me into the person that I’m at this time. I really feel like I do not take no shortcuts. I take all the pieces for what it’s and do not actually query too many issues. I really feel like that mentality got here from JUCO and being on the backside and seeing what it is prefer to not have something to having all the pieces going to among the prime applications.”
Data from ESPN’s Kevin Seifert was included on this report.