FILE - Oregon defensive back Khyree Jackson poses for a portrait at the NFL football Combine, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Indianapolis. Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson was killed in a car crash in Maryland on the morning of July 6, 2024, police and the team said.
Doug Benc / AP
Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson was killed Saturday morning in a car crash in Maryland, according to police and the team.
Jackson, 24, was one of three people who died in an overnight three-car crash in Prince George’s County, as reported by the Maryland State Police.
The Vikings released a statement expressing their sorrow, stating that the team had spoken with Jackson's family and was "devastated by the news."
“I am heartbroken by the loss of Khyree,” Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in the statement. “As we got to know him throughout the pre-draft process, it was clear the goals Khyree wanted to accomplish both professionally and personally. His story was one of resilience. He was taking steps to become the best version of himself not just for him, but for those who cared about and looked up to him.”
Jackson was a fourth-round selection of the Vikings in the 2024 NFL draft. He played two years at Alabama before finishing his college career with one season at Oregon, where he started at cornerback.
Oregon head football coach Dan Lanning paid tribute to Jackson on social media: “I will miss your smile. Great player, better person,” he wrote on X.
Jackson was in the running to earn a starting cornerback job at the team's training camp, which opens later this month in Eagan, Minnesota.
“I am at a loss for words. My heart goes out to Khyree’s family, friends, teammates, and coaches,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said in the statement.
Police reported that Jackson died at the scene. The other victims were Isaiah Hazel, 23, and Anthony Lytton, Jr., 24.
Hazel played college football at Maryland and Charlotte, while Lytton played at Florida State and Penn State.
The three had won state championships together at Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School in Maryland, according to On3.com.
They were in the same vehicle at the time of the crash, with Hazel driving and Jackson and Lytton as passengers, police said.
Investigators believe the driver of a second vehicle traveling north attempted to change lanes “at a high rate of speed” when they struck the car driven by Hazel and a third vehicle.
No one was injured in the second or third vehicles.
Investigators say alcohol might have been a contributing factor in the crash, and charges are pending “the investigation and consultation with the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office.”
0 Comments