Dwayne Haskins, a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has died, head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed Saturday. He was 24.
“I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins,” Tomlin said in a statement posted to the Steelers’ Twitter account. He called the quarterback a “great teammate” and “a tremendous friend to so many.”
Haskins was hit by a dump truck while trying to cross a Florida highway at around 6:40 a.m. Saturday, according to the state’s highway patrol. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
It is unclear why he was walking on Interstate 595 in Broward County, the highway patrol said. An investigation into his death is ongoing.
Before his NFL debut, Haskins played for Ohio State University, where he was a standout player and a finalist for the prestigious Heisman Trophy. He joined the NFL in 2019, when Washington took him in the first round of the draft.
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Haskins began the 2020 season as Washington’s starter and was named one of the team’s captains. He was benched after four weeks, at which point Washington was 1-3.
Haskins was released in January 2021 and later picked up by the Steelers.
In a statement, Commanders co-owners Dan and Tanya Snyder said they were “devastated” by the news of Haskins’ death.
“He was a young man with a tremendous amount of potential who had an infectious personality,” they said. “To say we are heartbroken is an understatement.”
Commanders head coach Ron Rivera called Haskins a “talented young man who had a long life ahead of him.”
“I know I speak for the rest of our team in saying he will be sorely missed,” Rivera said in a statement. “Our entire team is sending our heartfelt condolences and thoughts and prayers to the Haskins family at this time.”
The NFL also tweeted its condolences to Haskins’ family and loved ones.
The Twitter account for Ohio State’s football program posted a photo of Haskins with the words “Leader. Legend. Forever a Buckeye.”
Haskins’ teammates reacted to his death on social media. T.J. Watt, an outside linebacker for the Steelers, tweeted, “The world lost a great person today.”
“When Dwayne first walked into the locker room I could tell he was an upbeat guy,” Watt said. “He was always making people smile, never taking life for granted. His impact on me will last … forever.”
Watt’s brother and teammate Derek Watt tweeted, “Such heartbreaking news. Gone way too soon. Rest In Peace Dwayne.”
“Dwayne meant so much to so many people. His smile was infectious and he was a guy you wanted to be around,” the Steelers’ Cam Heyward, who played for Ohio State, tweeted. “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.”
Alex Highsmith tweeted, “Doesn’t seem real. Those who knew him knew how special he was. Heartbreaking, RIP Dwayne. Lord be with his family.”
“God you called him home way too young, I’ll never forget you brotha and the talks we had,” Chukwuma Okorafor wrote. “You’ll live on forever. May your family find peace.”
