Coaches, teammates mourn tragic death of Vikings' Khyree Jackson

The football community was hit with terrible news Saturday morning, learning Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson was tragically killed in a car accident in his native Maryland. 

Jackson, 24, and two of his high school teammates, Isaiah Hazel, 23, and Anthony Lytton Jr., 24, at Dr. Henry A. Wise High School in Prince George’s County, Md., were killed after being struck in a three-vehicle crash Saturday morning that was caused by a suspected drunk driver, according to the authorities in Maryland. The crash is still under investigation. 

Wise High School was among the first to offer condolences Saturday morning.

“The Dr. Henry A. Wise Athletic Department sends condolences to the families and mourns the loss of Khyree Jackson, Anthony Lytton Jr. and Isaiah Hazel,” Wise High School’s athletic department posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. 

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said in a statement that he was “crushed” by Jackson’s tragic death. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said he was “heartbroken” by the loss. Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf said Jackson was “dedicated to being a tremendous person.” 

“We are devastated by the news of Khyree Jackson’s death following an overnight car accident,” the Vikings posted on X. “Our thoughts are with Khyree’s family, friends, teammates and coaches, as well as all the victims of this tragic accident.” 

In another post on X, the NFL said it was “deeply saddened and devastated” by Jackson’s passing.

Fellow Vikings rookie J.J. McCarthy said on Instagram that Jackson was a “phenomenal athlete” but more importantly a “great man.” Dwight McGlothern, another fellow rookie cornerback, said on X Jackson’s passing “hurt my soul” and encouraged prayer for his loved ones. 

The Alabama and Oregon football programs, where Jackson played the last two seasons, each posted tributes offering condolences to Jackson’s family, friends and teammates. Oregon coach Dan Lanning said on social media Jackson was a “great player, better person.” 

The Vikings drafted Jackson with the No. 108 overall pick in the fourth round of this year’s NFL draft out of Oregon. Jackson notably had an incredible comeback journey after not playing in 2017-18, when he was instead working at a grocery store and not thinking about football.

Jackson later played one season at Fort Scott Community College in 2019 before getting a Division I opportunity and transferring to Alabama, where he played from 2021-22. Jackson then transferred to Oregon and put together a standout senior season that made his NFL dream a reality.