COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins died Saturday morning after being hit by a vehicle in Florida. He was 24.
Haskins' agent, Cedric Saunders told ESPN's Adam Schefter that the quarterback was training in South Florida with his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates.
According to Florida Highway Patrol, Haskins was attempting to cross the westbound lanes of Interstate 595 on foot when he was hit by a dump truck. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Haskins, who started for Buckeyes in 2018, completed 370 passes on 530 attempts for 4,843 yards and 50 touchdowns.
Five times during the season, Haskins threw for more than 400 yards in a game and threw for over 300 yards in nine games.
Haskins led Ohio State to a 13-1 record including a Big Ten Championship and a victory over Washington in the Rose Bowl.
He was the Big Ten offensive player of the week a record six times and awarded the Silver Football Award, given to the conference’s best player. Haskins was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and finished third behind Oklahoma's Kyler Murray and Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa.
Along the way, Haskins broke several school and conference records including the single-season passing and touchdown records.
Haskins was selected by Washington with the 15th pick overall in the 2019 NFL Draft but he was released in January 2021.
The Steelers gave Haskins a chance to resurrect his career when they signed him a month after the release.
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.
The Ohio University State Athletic Department released a statement saying:
"The Ohio State Department of Athletics is terribly saddened to learn of the death of Dwayne Haskins Saturday morning. We are thinking of the entire Haskins family during this most difficult time. Our prayers are with the family, and with his current and former teammates, coaches, friends and relatives."
Ohio State University Athletic Director Gene Smith tweeted about Haskins death late Saturday morning:
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin released a statement Twitter:
"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."
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who was teammates with Haskins at Ohio State, tweeted about the 24-year-old's death.
This is a developing story and it will be updated with more information as we gather more details.
