Khyree Jackson, a fourth-round draft pick who had briefly left football to work at a Chipotle and a grocery store, tragically passed away in a car accident in his hometown of Maryland along with two of his high school teammates.
Khyree Jackson, a rookie cornerback for the Vikings, works out at the TCO Performance Center in Eagan on May 10. The 24-year-old Oregonian, selected in the fourth round of the draft, lost his life in an automobile accident in Maryland on Friday night.
Khyree Jackson, a rookie cornerback for the Vikings and the 108th overall choice in this year’s NFL draft, was slain early on Saturday morning in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, in a three-car collision that also claimed the lives of two of his high school friends. He was 24 years old.
Jackson and 23-year-old Isaiah Hazel were declared dead at the site of the collision, which happened in Upper Marlboro just after three in the morning on Saturday, according to a statement from the Maryland State Police. After being taken to the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center, Anthony Lytton Jr., 24, was declared deceased by hospital staff.
Police suspect Hazel, Jackson, and Lytton perished after their Dodge Charger was hit by an Infiniti Q50 driver who was attempting to change lanes and pass them quickly on Maryland Route 4 in Upper Marlboro, according to an initial investigation. The Charger was thrown off the road after the impact, hitting many tree stumps before coming to a rest. Following that, an Infiniti Q50 collided with a Chevrolet Impala; the Impala’s driver, the Q50’s driver, and two of its passengers all escaped unharmed.
Investigators think drinking may have played a role in the collision. The police stated there are no charges yet.
The Vikings released a statement saying, “We are devastated by the news of Khyree Jackson’s death following an overnight car accident.” “The Minnesota Vikings have spoken with Khyree’s family and extended our support while we continue to gather additional details. We have also informed the Vikings staff, coaches, and players of the news, and we have provided counseling to individuals who require emotional support. Our sympathies go out to Khyree’s friends, teammates, coaches, and family, as well as to all the other victims of this terrible incident.”
After an unlikely route to the NFL, Jackson made his way to Minnesota. He left football, worked at a Harris Teeter grocery store and a Chipotle restaurant, but eventually returned to the game and started for Alabama and Oregon.
A Vikings squad in need of both size and tenacity was drawn to Jackson; general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stated in a statement on Saturday that Jackson’s demeanor “captured every room he was in.”
“As we got to know him throughout the pre-draft process, it was clear the goals Khyree wanted to accomplish both professionally and personally,” said Adofo-Mensah. “His narrative exemplified perseverance. He was making efforts to improve himself not only for himself but also for people who held him in high regard. That his life and everything that was ahead of him were taken so soon breaks my heart.”
“Absolutely crushed,” according to coach Kevin O’Connell, who also added that Jackson “brought a contagious energy to our facility and our team,”
“It was clear in our brief time together that Khyree was going to become an incredible professional football player,” O’Connell stated in the release. His ambition to improve himself for his family and everyone around him, however, was even more admirable. I don’t know what to say. My thoughts and prayers are with Khyree’s friends, family, teammates, and coaches.”
Long path to Vikings
The six-foot four Jackson’s spirit of competition drove him to take a roundabout path through the junior college football mud, attending several different institutions, including the East Mississippi Community College, which is well-known from Netflix’s “Last Chance U.”
His internal conflict also caused him pain and sadness when he was let go from his first position at Alabama. After just one game, Jackson was benched in 2022. But after a poor performance, he believed he deserved a chance to prove himself. To be honest, his effort wained. Nick Saban, the coach of the Crimson Tide, suspended him for the final four games. No explanation was made available to the public.
“A lot of things just come down to maturity,” Jackson stated in a May interview with the Star Tribune. “Just being dependable and making sure I’m where I need to be at all times.” That seems to have been some of the most important things I had to work on after moving from Alabama.
“I think if I would’ve had that mentality a little earlier in my career,” he stated, “I probably would’ve been in this position a lot earlier.”
Jackson’s path through college included junior institutions in Arizona, Kansas, and Mississippi; he also spent two years at Alabama before having his breakthrough season at Oregon in 2023. As the fifth-oldest rookie among the 257 players chosen in this year’s NFL draft, he faced two of the best quarterback prospects in the league in USC’s Caleb Williams and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., earning him a spot on the first team of the Pac-12.
Jackson’s brazen on-field demeanor had him jawing at opponents the entire time.
According to former Oregon cornerbacks coach Demetrice Martin, “one of the things that makes him great to me is he knows, or I should say he believes, he’s better than sometimes he is.” “But that’s what makes him go, and I love it.”
Growth spurt
Jackson, the son of Raymond and Ebbony Jackson, was raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland, which is outside of Washington, D.C. As a sophomore, he transferred to Wise High School, a football powerhouse.
As a freshman, he was 5-foot-6, but as a senior, he developed into a 6-3 receiver for a team that went 14-0 and won a state championship. He caught 39 passes for 612 yards and 12 touchdowns.
But he was unsigned by Division I teams. Academically, he was declared disqualified. Raymond Jackson, his father, stated that although his SAT score was above the D-I criteria, his academics fell short.
Khyree Jackson turned down offers for D-II. The finest launching pad for a Power Five league and ultimately the NFL, in his opinion, is junior college.
Ebbony Jackson recently stated, “He didn’t focus on a backup plan.” “He probably never questioned at all whether it would happen.”
The initial stop was short-lived. Before he ever played a game, he departed Yuma, Arizona’s Arizona Western Junior College. He had part-time jobs at Six Flags, Chipotle, and the Harris Teeter supermarket while spending almost two years living at home. He was named employee of the month after working behind the deli counter for six months.
Jackson stated, “It came with a plaque, but I don’t have it.” It took me maybe a month to notify my parents that I had won. That was not where I wanted to work forever. It was one of those situations where I knew I should be happy that I succeeded, but I was also thinking about other things.”
Switching positions
Jackson arrived at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas when enquiring about chances via email to junior college coaches. He requested to go from receiver to cornerback there from coach Kale Pick.
Jackson remarked, “I told him I wanted to play corner.” “I simply informed him about it… To leave this place, I have to produce. Although our quarterback position is not ideal, I feel that at least I have some control over my own fate.”
With three interceptions in eight games, Jackson rose to the top of the country’s junior college cornerback recruiting class. Despite his enrollment, East Mississippi Community College decided not to play the season because to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scouts continued to watch his movie and work with him. 33 Division I offers were made to him, one of which came from Alabama, a consistent power.
Jackson claimed to have learned about hard practices from Saban. He ate and trained like never before. Eventually, at the end of the 2021 season, he started his first game in Alabama’s national title loss to Georgia.
By the next season, Jackson was facing up against Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry, two other future NFL cornerback. By Week 2, when Texas quarterbacks passed for 292 yards in a close win, he had won a starting position. He was placed on the bench.
“I had kind of shot myself in the foot by not making the most of my opportunity,” Jackson stated.
Jackson transferred because he wanted to play. His mother demanded that he go somewhere where all of his credits transferred, so his options were limited. As Jackson got to meet the coaches, Oregon became an obvious decision because the team was in need of a starter.
He made a big impact right away in a conference that relied a lot on passes. In 12 games, he recorded three interceptions, ten deflections, and one blocked field goal.
While evaluating Jackson for the Vikings, analysts were interested in learning more about him personally. This spring, the organization planned three meetings with Jackson: one at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, one at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and one on a private visit at the TCO Performance Center in Eagan. Jackson told his family after the Senior Bowl that he loved Daronte Jones, the Vikings defensive backs coach, even though Jones only went to a high school in Maryland that was 10 miles from Jackson’s Wise.
Jackson also appreciated that he wasn’t asked a formulaic question about his background, which was contained in the paperwork on the desk, when he visited with Adofo-Mensah. Adofo-Mensah informed him that instead of closing the file, he would “see how you are” as a person.
Jackson did not mince words. He said his journey would get him “at a discount” when speaking with Vikings evaluators.
“I watched a lot of the names that got called before me recently in this draft,” Jackson stated. “If you simply watch the most recent season, perhaps things shouldn’t have turned out that way. I honestly don’t care too much because I know that when we win the Super Bowl and make some plays, I’ll have the last laugh.”
