Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson and two former school soccer gamers have been killed in a automotive crash in a single day, based on 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, based on 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 stated.
Hazel, 23, performed at Maryland and Charlotte, whereas Lytton, 24, performed at Florida State and Penn State.
Police stated Hazel was driving a Dodge Charger with Jackson within the passenger seat when their automotive was struck by an Infiniti Q50 making an attempt to vary lanes at a excessive velocity. The Charger left the highway and struck a number of tree stumps.
In line with 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 motive force of the Infiniti Q50 nor her two passengers or the motive force of the third car was injured. Investigators imagine alcohol could have performed a task within the crash, police stated, including that costs are pending.
Jackson was chosen by the Vikings within the fourth spherical of this 12 months’s draft and had been thought of a contender to begin at cornerback.
“We’re devastated by the information of Khyree Jackson’s dying following an in a single day automotive accident,” the Vikings stated in a press release. “Our ideas are with Khyree’s household, buddies, teammates and coaches, in addition to all of the victims of this tragic accident.”
Jackson performed his remaining season of school soccer at Oregon, and Geese coach Dan Lanning was amongst these paying tribute to Jackson on social media.
RIP Khyree… Love you @Real_Khyree puzzled. I’ll miss your smile. Nice participant higher individual.
— 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 underneath coach Nick Saban. He had give up soccer at one level after highschool earlier than returning to the game at a neighborhood school and ascending to the Division I stage.
“I’m completely crushed by this information,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell stated in a press release. “Khyree introduced a contagious power to our facility and our staff. His confidence and fascinating persona instantly drew his teammates to him. In our brief time collectively, it was evident Khyree was going to become an incredible skilled soccer participant, however what was extra spectacular was his want to grow to be the most effective individual he may very well be for his household and people round him. I’m puzzled. My coronary heart goes out to Khyree’s household, buddies, teammates and coaches.”
Jackson grew to become an immediate favourite amongst Vikings followers after he described his lengthy journey from highschool to the NFL draft. Talking to Minnesota reporters after the draft, he stated he was a non-qualifier after graduating from Smart Excessive College in Maryland in 2017. He hung out at three completely different junior schools whereas taking two seasons away from the sport, earlier than touchdown at Alabama in 2021.
Throughout that interim, he stated, he labored within the deli at a Harris Teeter grocery retailer and at one level gained an award for worker of the month. “I informed my mother and one cut-off date, ‘I suppose I am about to be working at a grocery retailer,'” he stated. Later he gave critical thought to becoming a member of the NBA 2K league.
“Once I ended up leaving my first junior school,” he stated, “I used to be dwelling for about six months however I informed my buddies that I used to be nonetheless at school. 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 finally informed my buddies. That second actually informed me, like, man, if I used to be embarrassed to even inform them, I’d wish 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 finally the NFL, Jackson stated he had no regrets.
“I would not change it for the world, although,” he stated. “I really feel prefer it taught me quite a lot of perseverance. It helped flip me into the person that I’m in the present day. I really feel like I do not take no shortcuts. I take all the things 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 things going to among the high applications.”
Info from ESPN’s Kevin Seifert was included on this report.
