Former NFL star DJ Hayden dies at age 33 after car accident

Former NFL star DJ Hayden has died at the age of 33.

Hayden died on Saturday, November 11 in Houston, Texas. The former Raiders cornerback was involved in a two-vehicle crash that left six people dead, including five men and one woman.

A Chrysler 300 is said to have been traveling “very quickly and at a high rate of speed,” ran a red light and collided with an Acura SUV, Houston Police Assistant Chief Megan Howard said in a media briefing posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.

Four people died at the scene, including the driver of the Chrysler and an apparently homeless man who was struck when the vehicle ended up on the sidewalk. Four others were taken to a nearby hospital, where two have since been pronounced dead.

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Hayden’s University of Houston teammates Zach McMillian and Ralph Oragwu also died in the car crash. Teammate Jeffrey Lewis is injured.

“The entire University of Houston community is deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of former football student-athletes DJ Hayden, Zachary McMillian and Ralph Oragwu earlier today, and our thoughts and prayers remain with Jeffery Lewis in his upcoming recovery,” the club said in a statement. the University of Houston. department wrote in a statement on Saturday.

They continued: “We extend our deepest condolences to their families, friends and loved ones as we collectively mourn the loss of three individuals who had an indelible impact on every life they touched,” the statement said. “While their combined talents provided Houston football with some of its most unforgettable moments, their unique legacies will be best remembered for the way they loved their teammates, supported their communities and defied the odds.”

In 2012, Hayden suffered a near-fatal heart injury after a collision while training at the University of Houston. The cornerback was a first-round NFL Draft pick the following year and was selected by the Oakland Raiders (now based in Las Vegas). He went on to play for the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Commanders, eventually retiring from the NFL after the 2021 season.

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“The Raiders family mourns the tragic loss of former cornerback DJ Hayden,” the Raiders said wrote in a statement on Saturday. “The Raiders first-round pick out of the University of Houston in 2013, DJ overcame a heart injury suffered during a college workout to play nine years in the NFL, including his first four with the Silver and Black.”

They continued: “DJ’s courage, perseverance and dedication to his teammates will be fondly remembered by all who knew him. The prayers of all of Raider Nation are with DJ’s loved ones at this time.”