Minnesota Vikings rookie dies at 24 after car crash

Khyree Jackson, a 2024 NFL draftee, has died. He was 24 years old.

The athlete, who was set to make his NFL debut this fall as a rookie cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings, died in a “triple-fatal car crash” in his home state of Maryland early on the morning of July 6, according to a Maryland State Police press release.

Two of Jackson’s former teammates at Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School — Isaiah Hazel, 23, and Anthony Lytton, Jr., 24 — also died in the crash in Prince George’s County, police said. Hazel was driving the vehicle, a Dodge Charger, while Jackson was in the passenger seat. Lytton was in the back seat.

The crash involved three vehicles, including a Chevrolet Impala and a silver Infiniti, which authorities said was driven by Cori Clingman. “Investigators believe Clingman was attempting to change lanes at a high rate of speed when she struck the Dodge Charger and then the Chevrolet Impala,” police said. “The Charger subsequently veered off the right side of the road and struck several tree stumps, where the vehicle came to a stop.”

Clingman and the two passengers in her Infiniti, as well as the Impala driver, were uninjured. Investigators believe alcohol may have been a “contributing factor” to the crash.

The trio’s former high school athletic department mourned the loss of the men in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “The Dr. Henry A. Wise Athletic Department sends condolences to the families and mourns the loss of Khyree Jackson (2016 State Champion, Class of 2017), Anthony Lytton, Jr. (AJ) (2015, ’16, ’17 State Champion, Class of 2018) and Isaiah Hazel (2015, ’16, ’17 State Champion, Class of 2019),” the post read, adding, “#OnceAPumaAlwaysAPuma.”

The Vikings also mourned Jackson’s death in an official statement. “Our thoughts are with Khyree’s family, friends, teammates and coaches, as well as all the victims of this tragic accident,” the statement said.

Several Vikings employees also expressed their condolences. “Khyree had an extremely bright future ahead of him as a player,” wrote owners Mark and Zygi Wilf, adding, “It was clear that he was committed to being a great human being who made a positive impact on people’s lives.”

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the Vikings’ general manager, said he was “heartbroken by the loss of Khyree.”

“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 continued. “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. Khyree’s personality captured every room he was in. I am devastated that his life and everything he had ahead of him was cut so short.”

Head coach Kevin O’Connell also issued a statement, writing, “I am absolutely devastated by this news. Khyree brought an infectious energy to our facility and team. His confidence and engaging personality immediately attracted his teammates.”

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

Jackson’s former head coach Dan Lanning of the University of Oregon issued a similar statement following his sudden death. “RIP Khyree… I love you,” the coach wrote on X. “I’m at a loss for words. I will miss your smile. Great player, better person.”

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Jackson, whom the Vikings selected in the fourth round of the 2024 draft in April, had one of the most heartwarming stories of the offseason. The Maryland native had previously given up football altogether – his grades weren’t good enough to play in college basketball’s D1 – and instead worked at a local grocery store. Sports illustrated reported.

“At some point, I stopped thinking about football much,” he said in a video shared by the Vikings. “I had just been named employee of the month at the supermarket.”

After giving football another chance in 2019, the cornerback went to Alabama and played two seasons for the Crimson Tide before moving to Oregon, where he caught the attention of the Vikings.

After his big moment in the draft, Jackson wrote a heartfelt message on Instagram, saying he was sitting “here 48 hours away from me and my family and their lives that are about to change.”

“What can I say? I think the saying ‘life is what you make of it’ means exactly what it means,” he wrote at the time. “I got off my ass and took what I deserved.”