Former NFL player D.J. Hayden lost his life in a car accident in Houston early on Saturday morning.
The 33-year-old Hayden, a cornerback at the University of Houston before the Raiders selected him in the first round of the 2013 draught (12th overall), was one of six individuals slain when a car ran a red light at approximately two in the morning local time, according to the Houston Chronicle and the New York PosT
In addition to playing for the Raiders for four of his eight NFL seasons, Hayden also played for Detroit, Jacksonville, and Washington.
Four people were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Houston Police Department, one of whom was Zach McMillian, Hayden’s fellow cornerback at Houston.
According to police, four people were taken to the hospital; two of them have since passed away, and one woman is believed to have injuries that could kill her.
The police said that a homeless man and the driver of the Chrysler 300 both passed away at the scene.
A teammate had inadvertently kneed Hayden in the chest during practise, causing a hit to his main vein that led to his heart. Hayden had previously survived a near-fatal cardiac injury in 2012.
After recovering from that injury, Hayden played in 92 games and ended his nine-year NFL career in 2021 with four interceptions.
This article was copied with permission from its original publication on the New York Post.
