Mitchell Leff/Getty Images Dwayne Haskins warms up prior to a Pittsburgh Steelers preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on August 12, 2021.
On the morning April 9, 2022, the Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a tragic loss when quarterback Dwayne Haskins was killed at the age of 24 after being struck by a dump truck on I-595 in South Florida.
In the 24 hours since, Steelers players and coaches have paid homage to Haskins via messages on social media, led by head coach Mike Tomlin, who relayed the heartbreaking news on Saturday morning, describing himself as “devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins.”
Statement from Head Coach Mike Tomlin:
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Not long afterwards, other members of the organization began expressing their feelings about Haskins, a former first-round pick of the Washington Commanders who originally joined the team in January 2021 and signed another one-year contract last month.
Fellow quarterback Mason Rudolph had one word to describe what he was feeling: “Devastated.”
Devastated.
Steelers quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan described himself as “heartbroken and devastated” by the news of Haskins’ death.
“It was a joy to see him grow and develop, both as a quarterback & as a man. His positive attitude, bright smile & genuine enthusiasm will be missed by everyone. Praying for his wife, Kalabrya, and the Haskins Family,” he wrote.
Heartbroken and devastated by Dwayne’s sudden passing… It was a joy to see him grow and develop, both as a quarterback & as a man. His positive attitude, bright smile & genuine enthusiasm will be missed by everyone. Praying for his wife, Kalabrya, and the Haskins Family🙏🏼
#RIP
Similarly, ex-Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger referenced Haskins’ “smile and zeal for life,” as well as his former teammate’s passion and love for football.
A message from Ben.
Chase Claypool: ‘You Are What I Strive To Be’
For his part, third-year Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool shared an emotional video and a tweet in which he said:
“I spent your final moments with you and I can’t help but think about how selfless you were in those moments. All you cared about was making sure that everyone around you was okay and I can’t thank you enough for that. You are what I strive to be,” he concluded.
T.J. Watt: ‘The World Lost a Great Person’
There have also been plenty of messages from players on the opposite side of the ball, including outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who wrote:
“The world lost a great person today. When Dwayne first walked into the locker room, I could tell he was an upbeat guy. He was always making people smile, never taking life for granted. His impact on me will last forever.”
The world lost a great person today. When Dwayne first walked into the locker room I could tell he was an upbeat guy. He was always making people smile, never taking life for granted. His impact on me will last a forever.
Meanwhile, fellow outside linebacker Alex Highsmith expressed his shock at the news: “Doesn’t seem real. Those who knew him knew how special he was. Heartbreaking, RIP Dwayne. Lord be with his family.”
Finally, veteran Steelers cornerback Joe Haden, who is currently an unrestricted free agent, reminded followers how fragile life is, encouraging everyone to tell loved ones that you love them.
Tell YOUR loved ONEs…. tHAT YOU LOVE THEM!!! ❤️
Life is so short!! Rip Dwayne Haskins!
🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
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At the same time, it’s hard to ignore that news of Haskins’ death has been accompanied by a certain amount of media controversy. For one, ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter has come under fire for the wording of his tweet breaking the news of Haskins’ death. More notably still, Pro Football Hall of Famer Gil Brandt felt compelled to issue an apology on social media for comments he made about Haskins during an interview on Sirius XM NFL Radio.
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