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Dwayne Haskins, Pittsburgh Steelers QB and Ohio State Star, Dies at 24

Dwayne Haskins, the former Ohio State star and first-round NFL draft pick, died early Saturday, On3 reports. He was 24.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter first broke the news Saturday morning. He posted on Twitter: “Dwayne Haskins, a standout at Ohio State before becoming Washington’s first-round pick and playing in Pittsburgh, died this morning when he got hit by a car in South Florida, per his agent Cedric Saunders. Haskins would have turned 25 years old on May 3.”

Report: Dwayne Haskins Was in Florida Training with Teammates

NBC’s Pro Football Talk reported that Haskins was in South Florida for training with other Steelers teammates. It was the offensive skill group — quarterbacks, receivers and running backs.

The Miami Herald reported that the Florida Highway Patrol is currently investigating an accident that involved a 24-year-old man. The FHP said that a dump truck struck and killed the man on I-595. The Herald said that parts of I-595 still were closed as of late Saturday morning.

Dwayne Haskins was only three weeks short of turning 25. As news of his death broke Saturday morning, some of his coaches and teammates started posting tributes to the former Buckeye great. Fans did as well.

Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin Confirmed Haskins’ Death

In a statement posted to Twitter, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said: “I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins. He quickly became part of the Steelers family upon his arrival in Pittsburgh and was one of the hardest workers, both on the field and in the community.

“Dwayne was a great teammate, but even more so, a tremendous friend to so many. I am truly heart broken. Our thoughts and prayers are with wife, Kalabrya and his entire family during this difficult time.”

The Commanders, Haskins’ former team, also honored his memory. Coach Ron Riviera said he was “absolutely heartbroken” after hearing of Haskins’ death. He added that the entire team was sending its “heart felt condolences and thoughts and prayers” to Haskins’ family.

The Commanders posted a photo of Haskins, smiling broadly, as he played the game he loved.

Kyler Murray, the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, tweeted: “RIP Dwayne Haskins.. heartbreaking… Prayers to his family & loved ones. Love yours while they’re here!”

Robert Griffin III, the 2011 Heisman winner and one-time Washington quarterback, wrote: Dwayne Haskins died this morning after being hit by a car at only 24 years old. He had so much life ahead of him even beyond the football field. Most will remember him as a star at Ohio State and NFL QB, but let us all send up a prayer for his family who lost so much more.

Washington Selected Haskins in 2019

Washington selected him with the 15th pick of the 2019 NFL draft. He’d only started one year with Ohio State, going 13-1 his sophomore season.

He played two seasons with Washington before his release for off-field issues and inefficient play. Haskins threw for 2,804 yards and 12 touchdowns with Washington. He won only three games over two seasons, with a combined starting record of 3-10.

Pittsburgh signed Haskins as a free agent in January, 2021 season. However, he spent the fall as the third-team quarterback and was only active for one game. The Steelers already had signed him for 2022. Haskins viewed the Steelers as a much-needed chance for an NFL reset.

And Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert both credited Haskins for his improvement. Coming into preseason training camp, Haskins had been expected to compete for the starting job with Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky. The job was wide open after the retirement of long-time Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger. The AP reported that Haskins had been working with Trubisky while training in Florida.