FLORIDA, USA — Dwayne Haskins, the former Washington Commanders quarterback, has died.
The 24-year-old was hit by hit by a dump truck in South Florida early Saturday morning, according to his agent.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Haskins was attempting to cross the westbound lanes of Interstate 595 while there was oncoming traffic.
Haskins was hit by an oncoming dump truck and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to FHP.
FHP spokeswoman Lt. Indiana Miranda said the highway was shut down for several hours and it's “an open traffic homicide investigation.”
The NFL community has been taking to social media to send their condolences throughout the day.
Haskins was a standout high school athlete at Bullis School in Potomac, Md., and originally committed to play college ball at the University of Maryland before deciding to play for Ohio State University. Haskins was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in 2018.
Christian Sullivan, the head of school at Bullis, wrote a letter to the community Saturday about Haskins' death.
"The community, former Head of School Dr. Gerald Boarman and I send our sincerest condolences to his wife, Kalabrya; his parents, Dwayne Sr. and Tamara; and his sister, Tamia, class of 2019. We are so deeply sorry for their loss," Sullivan wrote.
For all of his accomplishments as a professional athlete, Sullivan wrote that at Bullis the community knew Haskins as "as an honorable, smart, and family-oriented young man who graduated from college in three years."
In 2019, Haskins was Washington's first-round pick in the NFL draft, selected 15th overall. After being released by Washington in 2020, Haskins signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Haskins was with his Steelers teammates — including fellow quarterback Mitch Trubisky, running back Najee Harris and tight end Pat Freiermuth — in South Florida, training for the upcoming season when he died.
Haskins' death sparked an outpouring of grief from multiple corners of the NFL, particularly from former teammates with the Steelers and Commanders.
In a statement released by the Washington Commanders, the team expressed devastation over the loss of one of their former players.
"He was a young man with a tremendous amount of potential who had an infectious personality," Co-owners Dan and Tanya Snyder said in a statement.
Head Coach Ron Rivera added that he is "absolutely heartbroken to hear the passing of Dwayne Haskins Jr. It is a very sad time, and I am at a loss for words."
“I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "He quickly became part of our Steelers family upon his arrival in Pittsburgh and was one of our hardest workers, both on the field and in our community. Dwayne was a great teammate, but even more so a tremendous friend to so many. I am truly heartbroken."
Tomlin continued, that the team is sending thoughts and prayers to Haskins' family, especially his wife, Kalabrya.
Ohio State posted a photo of Haskins on its Twitter feed, topped by the description “Leader. Legend. Forever a Buckeye."
At Ohio State, Haskins set single-season records for touchdowns passing with 50 and yards passing with 4,831. He was the 2019 Rose Bowl MVP as the Buckeyes went 13-1.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day, who was the quarterbacks' coach during Haskins' final season at the school, called Haskins' death “beyond tragic.”
“For those who knew him closely, he was much more than a great football player,” Day posted on Twitter. “He had a giant heart, old soul and an infectious smile. The Ohio State community and our entire football program are heartbroken.”
The Steelers gave Haskins a chance to resurrect his career in January 2021 when they signed him a month after being released by Washington. Humbled by the decision, Haskins stressed he was eager to work hard and absorb as much as he could from Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph.
Haskins made the roster as the third-stringer but only dressed once, serving as the backup in a tie with Detroit after Roethlisberger was placed into the COVID-19 protocol the night before the game.
“The world lost a great person today,” Steelers star T.J. Watt posted on Twitter. “When Dwayne first walked into the locker room I could tell he was an upbeat guy. He was always making people smile, never taking life for granted.”
Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert both praised Haskins for his improvement since joining the team, and the Steelers re-signed him to a one-year deal as a restricted free agent in March. He was expected to compete with Rudolph and Trubisky at training camp.
“Dwayne meant so much to so many people,” Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward posted on Twitter. “His smile was infectious and he was a guy you wanted to be around. We are all in shock about losing him. We are going to miss the heck out of him as well. We lost you way too early. Luckily I got a chance to get to know you. RIP DH.”
WUSA9 Sports Director, Darren Haynes shared a special memory of Haskins on Twitter after hearing the news. Haynes said, "I am absolutely heartbroken man."
ESPN was the first to report Haskins had died.