FLORIDA, USA — Dwayne Haskins, a quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers, died Saturday morning in Florida.
According to Florida Highway Patrol, Haskins, 24, was walking on a limited access facility (either a highway or an expressway) for unknown reasons.
While attempting to cross the westbound lanes of Interstate 595, he was hit by a dump truck, troopers explain. Haskins was pronounced dead on scene.
FHP originally sent out a news release early Saturday on a dump truck vs. pedestrian but has now confirmed the identity of the person as Haskins.
Haskins was training in Florida with other Steelers quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers, ESPN reports. Haskins would've turned 25 on May 3.
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin released a statement on Twitter, writing:
"I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins. 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. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Kalabrya, and his entire family during this difficult time."
The 24-year-old, who started for Buckeyes in 2018, completed 370 passes on 530 attempts for 4,843 yards and 50 touchdowns, according to our sister station 10 TV.
Former Ohio State Buckeye head coach Urban Meyer released a statement in a tweet following the death of Haskins. It said:
"Heartbroken to hear of the loss of Dwayne Haskins Jr. My thoughts and prayers go out to his incredible family. One of the greatest QB’s in Ohio State history, but an even better son, teammate, and friend. God Bless!!"
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day also sent out a tweet Saturay saying, "The loss of Dwayne is beyond tragic and extremely difficult to process. For those who knew him closely, he was much more than a great football player. He had a giant heart, old soul and an infectious smile. The Ohio State community and our entire football program are heartbroken."
At the news of the former quarterback's passing, Washington Commanders Co-owners Dan and Tonya Synder released the following statement:
"We are devasted to hear the news of the tragic passing of Dwayne Haskins Jr. He was a young man with a tremendous amount of potential who had an infectious personality. To say we are heartbroken is an understatement. Our hearts and prayers are with the members of Dwayne's family and all of those who knew him and loved him."
Haskins was a first-round draft choice of Washington in 2019 and started seven games, going 2-5 as a rookie. The former Ohio State star was 1-5 in six starts the next season for the team, then was released.
As an Ohio State Buckey, Haskins was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2018 after leading Ohio Stat to the Big Ten Conference championship and an appearance in the Rose Bowl.
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. He 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.
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 Mitch Trubisky for a spot.
“We’re excited to see what Dwayne can provide, either from competition, or maybe he evolves as a starter,” Colbert said in January.
Haskins was married to Kalabrya Gonderzick, a former two-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete, according to Ohio State Department of Athletics.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.