The professional football world was shaken this weekend when Pittsburgh quarterback Dwayne Haskins was killed Saturday. He was in South Florida training for the upcoming NFL season. The first-round pick was selected number 15 overall by the Washington Redskins*. It was a struggle. His first touchdown pass was…to former New York Giants safety Jabrill Peppers. Simply, there were a ton of off-the-field issues as well. It's why Washington Coach Ron Rivera released him ahead of the conclusion of the 2020 season. Haskins then signed with the Steelers, and maybe things were going to turn around. Sadly, it did not, as Haskins was killed in a traffic accident at the age of 24.
What's peculiar about his tragic death is that he was struck by a dump truck while walking on Interstate 595. That's simply insane (via ESPN):
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins died early Saturday morning after he was struck by a dump truck while he was walking on a South Florida highway. Haskins was 24 years old.
Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson Lt. Indiana Miranda said Haskins was pronounced dead at the scene.
"He was attempting to cross the westbound lanes of Interstate 595 when there was oncoming traffic," Miranda said in an emailed statement.
She didn't say why Haskins was on the highway near Fort Lauderdale at the time. The accident caused the highway to be shut down for several hours, and Miranda said it's "an open traffic homicide investigation."
Haskins was training in South Florida with other Steelers quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers.
"I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement. "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.
Interstate 595 is not a place where you want to play Frogger, whether trying to cross or even walk. It's certainly not a road you want to run on if Haskins was training. Many questions remain. Regardless of the situation, it's tragic. The NFL community offered its condolences throughout the weekend, except for the former vice president of player personnel of the Dallas Cowboys, Gil Brandt, who made awful remarks about Haskins' death.
Here is @Gil_Brandt on NFL radio when asked about Dwayne Haskins.
— Pete Damilatis (@PeteDamilatis) April 9, 2022
“He was a guy that was living to be dead.”
“It was always something” with Haskins
“Maybe it he stayed in school a year he wouldn’t do silly things [like] jogging on a highway.” pic.twitter.com/cuZZdqYOck
*I'm not calling them the "Commanders." They will always be the Redskins to me.