Vikings begin training camp mourning the loss of Khyree Jackson, honoring the rookie’s life

DAVE CAMPBELL, Associated Press

11 minutes ago

FILE – Oregon defensive back Khyree Jackson (5) stands before a play against Texas Tech during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Lubbock, Texas. Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson was killed in a car crash early Saturday morning, July 6, 2024, in Maryland, police and the team said. (AP Photo/Chase Seabolt, File)

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The dreaded early-morning phone call for Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell came during that rare holiday period in the NFL calendar, a summer weekend marred by the sudden death of rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson.

The Oregon player who was selected fourth overall was scheduled to report to training camp this week along with the rest of his draft class.

Instead, O’Connell spent much of his season-opener press conference on Monday discussing plans to honor the gregarious 24-year-old who never played in a game and how the Vikings have mourned Jackson since he and two friends — Isaiah Hazel and AJ Lytton — were killed in a car crash in their home state of Maryland on July 6.

“Between his joy, the way he approached life and also just that hardworking spirit,” said general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, “we were so excited to add him to this building, to this culture. It’s a tragedy that he’s gone.”

Jackson and Hazel’s funeral will be held Friday. The Vikings said they have donated more than $20,000 toward expenses, and Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell will attend the service, along with defensive coordinator Brian Flores, special teams coordinator Matt Daniels and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones. The team will also fly Jackson’s family to Minnesota in the coming weeks for a private memorial service with Vikings players and coaches.

Jackson’s uniform — he wore number 31 — and locker will not be used this season. Players will wear helmet decals with his initials on them, and coaches will wear pins with the same design.

There were 38 players who reported to team headquarters on Sunday — mostly rookies, quarterbacks and players rehabbing injuries — before the rest of the team arrived on Tuesday. O’Connell normally waits until everyone is present to deliver his season-opening address, but this year he took extra time to talk to the first group, reiterating the availability of mental health resources and explaining to the players closest to Jackson how the team planned to pay tribute.

“Khyree wasn’t on our team very long, but the way our culture is … it doesn’t take long for guys to build strong bonds and relationships,” O’Connell said. “Just from talking to some of our veteran leaders over the summer and how they communicated their feelings and things, it was pretty remarkable to hear the impact he had in such a short period of time.”

Perhaps the biggest impact Jackson will have with the Vikings will be a reminder of the fragility of life and, for the players, the uncertain nature of their careers.

“I think in many ways it’s a wake-up call that at no point in time are we guaranteed another day on this earth,” O’Connell said. “And there’s not a single player in that locker room that hasn’t probably thought about that at some point in their grieving process, how unfair this was for Khyree and his family, and ‘What would that have been like?’ or ‘Could that have been me?’ type of questions.”

That point became even more painful less than a week later when sophomore wide receiver Jordan Addison was arrested in California on suspicion of driving under the influence. Addison, who was cited for speeding just before his first training camp, was scheduled to report to camp on Tuesday.

The Vikings have temporarily delegated the NFL’s role in disciplinary action, in accordance with the league’s collectively bargained policy on player conduct. Such league penalties are rarely enforced until the legal process is complete.

“Any disappointment we could have in Jordan, Jordan has more in him,” Adofo-Mensah said. “He sets high standards for himself, he’s been raised by a great family. He knows what behaviors he needs to do to be the best version of himself. He’s let himself down a little bit in that. With words like discipline and things like that, we don’t really talk about it inside these walls. Inside these walls, it’s about designing for the outcome that we want. The outcome that we want is for Jordan to be the best version of himself on the field and off the field, and he’s believed exactly the same thing.”

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