Dwayne Haskins, a former Ohio State standout quarterback and the No. 15 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, has died at the age of 24, the Steelers confirmed Saturday. His cause of death was not officially confirmed but his agent told ESPN he was struck by a car Saturday morning in South Florida.
"I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement. "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."
Haskins was drafted by Washington. He played in nine games in 2019 and seven in 2020, throwing 2,804 yards for 12 total touchdowns. Haskins signed with the Steelers in January 2021 to back up Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph, but did not play. Haskins signed a one-year restricted free agent tender in March to remain in Pittsburgh.
In two years at Ohio State, he threw for 5,396 yards and 54 touchdowns across 22 games. He was named MVP of both the 2018 Big Ten Championship Game and 2019 Rose Bowl.
Born in New Jersey, Haskins moved to Potomac, Md. in high school and became a top prospect in the 2016 class after starring at The Bullis School. He was Maryland's Gatorade Player of the Year his junior year of high school.
When asked Saturday morning what he’d want people to know about Haskins, private QB coach Quincy Avery — who first met Haskins when the quarterback was 15 — told The Athletic: “Just how nice of a person he was. He was such a genuine, nice human being, and he was special. That sweetness he had would be the best way to describe it. He was very happy-go-lucky. He wanted to make everybody happy, and that was most important to him.”
Avery said he’d just spoken to Haskins on Friday. They were organizing their next training session together.
"He was supposed to be here on the 14th," Avery said.
As Haskins’ star began to ascend and the hype of becoming the next great Ohio State quarterback mounted, he often downplayed that aspect in media sessions. Instead, he’d talk about his little sister Tamia, an actress, and he was just the proud big brother. “That is him,” Avery said.
In a statement, Washington co-owners Dan and Tanya Snyder said Haskins was a "young man with a tremendous amount of potential who had an infectious personality."
"To say we are heartbroken is an understatement," the Snyders said.
Added Commanders coach Ron Rivera, who spent part of one season with Haskins in 2020: "Dwayne was a talented young man who had a long life ahead of him. This is a very sad time and I am honestly at a loss for words. I know I speak for the rest of our team in saying he will be sorely missed."
Haskins' legacy at Ohio State
Bill Landis, Ohio State beat writer: Haskins changed the perception of the quarterback position at Ohio State. In one season as the Buckeyes’ starter, he set 28 program and seven Big Ten records while finishing third in the Heisman Trophy voting. His play that year set a course for a new direction of the Buckeye offense, one more quarterback-centric and passing-focused, that made the program a destination for some of the sport’s top quarterback talent.
Ohio State had two first-round quarterbacks in its history prior to Haskins’ selection in 2019 — Don Scott in 1941 and Art Schlichter in 1982. Haskins’ successor, Justin Fields, was a first-round pick in 2021 and Fields’ successor, C.J. Stroud, will likely be a first-round pick in 2023. That’s the new normal for the program, one that Haskins helped usher in with his breakout 2018 season.
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