Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson died in car accident at age 24

Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson, the 108th pick in this year’s NFL Draft, died early Saturday morning in Maryland in a three-car crash that also killed two of his high school teammates. He was 24 years old.

State police said Jackson and Isaiah Hazel, 23, were pronounced dead at the scene. The crash occurred just after 3 a.m. on Route 4 in Upper Marlboro. Anthony “AJ” Lytton Jr., 24, was taken to the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Police said an initial investigation revealed that the three were traveling in a Dodge Charger when they were struck by an Infiniti Q50 that attempted to change lanes and overtake them at high speed.

The impact caused the Charger to veer off the road and hit several tree stumps before coming to a stop. The second car then struck a Chevrolet Impala.

Neither the driver of the Impala nor the driver and two passengers in the Q50 were injured.

Investigators believe alcohol may have contributed to the accident. Police said charges have been filed.

“We are devastated by the news of Khyree Jackson’s death following a car accident overnight,” the Vikings said in a statement. “While we work to gather more information, we have spoken with Khyree’s family and offered him the support of the Minnesota Vikings.”

“We have also shared the news with Vikings players, coaches and staff and offered counseling for those needing emotional support. Our thoughts are with Khyree’s family, friends, teammates and coaches, as well as all the victims of this tragic accident.”

Jackson arrived in Minnesota after an unlikely path to the NFL. He gave up football and worked at a Harris Teeter grocery store and a Chipotle restaurant before returning to the game, eventually becoming a starter at the universities of Alabama and Oregon.

His size and tenacity caught the attention of a Vikings team that needed both. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in a statement Saturday that Jackson’s personality “conquered every room he was in.”

“When we got to know him leading up to the draft, it was clear what goals Khyree wanted to achieve both professionally and personally,” Adofo-Mensah said. “His story was one of resilience. He took steps to become the best version of himself, not only for himself, but for those who cared about him and looked up to him.”

“I am devastated that his life and everything he had ahead of him was cut so short.”

Coach Kevin O’Connell said in a statement that he was “completely devastated.” He said Jackson “brought an infectious energy to our facility and our team.”

“In our short time together, it was obvious that Khyree was going to develop into a great professional football player,” O’Connell said. “But even more impressive was his desire to become the best person he could be for his family and those around him.”

“I am at a loss for words. My deepest condolences go out to Khyree’s family, friends, teammates and coaches.”

Long road to the Vikings

The 6’4″ Jackson’s competitive spirit led him through the dirt of junior college football. He attended several schools, including East Mississippi Community College, known from the Netflix series “Last Chance U.”

His inner fire also led to pain and disappointment when he lost his starting spot at Alabama. Jackson was benched after one start in 2022. But he felt he deserved a chance to redeem himself after a poor game. Admittedly, his efforts waned. He was suspended by Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban for the final four games. A reason was not publicly given.

“A lot of things just have to do with maturity,” Jackson told the Star Tribune in May. “I have to make sure I’m always where I need to be and just be reliable and trustworthy. I think those were some of the main things I had to improve on after coming out of Alabama.”

“I think if I had had that mindset a little earlier in my career,” he added, “I probably would have been in this position a lot sooner.”

Jackson’s college career took him to junior colleges in Arizona, Kansas and Mississippi, a two-year stint at Alabama and finally a breakthrough 2023 season at Oregon. The fifth-oldest rookie of 257 selected in this year’s NFL Draft, he was named to the All-Pac-12 first team while defending against top quarterback prospects Caleb Williams of USC and Michael Penix Jr. of Washington.

He was constantly yelling at his opponents – that’s part of Jackson’s bold demeanor on the field.

“One of the things that makes him so great to me is that he knows, or rather he believes, that he’s better than he is sometimes,” former Oregon cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin said recently. “But that’s what makes him so great, and I love it.”

Growth spurt

Jackson, the son of Raymond and Ebbony Jackson, grew up in Prince George’s County, Maryland, outside of Washington, D.C. As a sophomore, he transferred to Wise High School, a football powerhouse.

He was 5’6″ his freshman year, but by his senior year he had developed into a 6’3″ receiver who caught 39 passes for 564 yards and 12 touchdowns for a team that went 14-0 and won a state title.

But Division I college teams couldn’t sign him: He wasn’t academically qualified. Although his SAT score met the DI threshold, his father said, his grades didn’t.

Jackson turned down offers from D-II schools because he believed junior college was the best stepping stone to a Power Five conference and eventually the NFL.

“He didn’t have a plan B,” his mother said recently. “He probably never wondered if it would happen.”

His first stop didn’t last long. He dropped out of Arizona Western, a junior college in Yuma, Arizona, before playing his first game. Jackson returned to Maryland, where he lived at home for nearly two years and took part-time jobs at Six Flags, Chipotle and Harris Teeter. After six months behind the deli counter, he was named Employee of the Month.

“There was a plaque, but I don’t have it,” Jackson said. “I didn’t tell my mom I won until a month later. I didn’t want to work there forever. It was one of those things where I knew it was cool that I got it, but I had other things in the back of my mind.”

Switch positions

After emailing junior college coaches asking about opportunities, Jackson landed at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas, where he asked coach Kale Pick to switch from receiver to cornerback.

“I told him I wanted to play cornerback,” Jackson said. “I just told him I had to perform to get out of here. Our quarterback situation isn’t the best, but I feel like as a cornerback I can at least control my own destiny.”

Jackson intercepted three passes in eight games and became the country’s top junior college recruit at cornerback. He enrolled at East Mississippi Community College, but the school canceled the season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scouts still watched his films and workouts. He received 33 offers from Division I, including from perennial powerhouse Alabama.

Under Saban, Jackson said, he learned tough training methods, trained and ate better than ever before, and eventually made his first start in Alabama’s national title loss to Georgia at the end of the 2021 season.

The following year, Jackson was competing with future NFL cornerbacks Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold, and by the second week of the season, he had earned the starting job against Texas. Although the Tide narrowly defeated the Longhorns, Texas’ quarterbacks threw for 292 yards. Jackson was benched.

“In a way, I scored an own goal by not making the most of my opportunity,” he said.

Jackson wanted to play, so he transferred. Options were limited, as his mother insisted he go somewhere that would transfer all of his credits. Oregon became an easy choice once Jackson got to know the coaching staff and the squad needed a starter.

In a pass-heavy league, he made an immediate difference. In 12 games, he recorded 10 deflections, three interceptions and one blocked field goal.

Vikings evaluators liked his playing ability, but they also wanted to get to know Jackson as a person. The team scheduled three meetings with Jackson this spring: at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama; at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis; and at a private visit at the TCO Performance Center in Eagan. Jackson left the Senior Bowl telling his family that he liked Vikings defensive backs coach Daronte Jones, who attended a high school in Maryland, 10 miles from Jackson’s Wise.

Jackson said he also liked that when he met with Adofo-Mensah, he was not asked routine questions about his past; the answers were already in a file on the desk. Adofo-Mensah told him he would keep the file closed to instead “see what you are like as a person.”

Jackson didn’t hold back. He told Vikings evaluators that he would be coming “at a discount” because of his travel.

“I looked at a lot of names that were called ahead of me in this draft,” Jackson said. “Just looking at last season, maybe it shouldn’t have gone that way. … It really doesn’t bother me that much because I know I’ll end up having the last laugh if we make some plays and win the Super Bowl.”