Former Las Vegas Raiders cornerback D.J. Hayden — who turned 33 years old back in June — was one of six people who were killed in a Houston car crash on Saturday morning.
A car reportedly sped through a red light and subsequently hit another car.
The majority of the six people who died in the crash were pronounced dead at the scene. But two out of the six people who died passed away following being taken to a hospital.
Two of Hayden’s former college football teammates at the University of Houston and one other former player for the school were involved in the accident. Jeffery Lewis was injured but is still alive, while Ralph Oragwu and Zach McMillan — Hayden’s former teammates —were killed.
Hayden was selected by the Raiders with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. He played for the Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders during his nine seasons in the NFL.
But he spent more time playing for the Raiders than any other NFL team, seeing as how he was a member of the team for the first four seasons of his NFL career.
Arguably Hayden’s best season playing for the Raiders came during the 2015 season, his third season with the team. Across 16 games played and 13 starts with the Raiders during the regular season, the cornerback racked up 70 combined tackles, six assists on tackles, 64 solo tackles and three tackles for loss.
Plus, Hayden intercepted one pass and forced one fumble for the Raiders that season.
The final season of his NFL career came during the 2021 season when he played for the Commanders. He played in just one game with the team during the regular season.
Hayden’s death in the car crash on Saturday is incredibly unfortunate news. Expect the Raiders to honor him shortly before or during their matchup against the New York Jets at home on Sunday.
After playing the Jets, the Raiders will take on the 6-3 Miami Dolphins on the road on Nov. 19.
