In an incredibly tragic piece of news released early Friday evening, Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tray Walker died of injuries sustained in a bike accident Thursday night in Florida.
At 5 pm eastern time, Ravens cornerback Tray Walker was pronounced dead, according to his agent Ron Butler, following a motorcycle accident.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 18, 2016
Walker, 23, was involved in an accident in northwest Miami-Dade Thursday evening and was immediately transported to the Jackson Memorial Hospital’s trauma center to undergo emergency surgery.
After battling for his life throughout Friday, Walker passed away at 5:00 p.m. ET nearby where he grew up and attended high school in Miami.
Walker, a fourth-round pick of the Ravens last year, appeared in eight games as a rookie. This came after he starred for Texas Southern following a tremendous high school career in Florida.
Upon hearing about the accident, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh had this to say Thursday evening:
“Oh my God. This is devastating news. Our hopes and prayers are with Tray and his family tonight.”
Immediately following the news of Walker’s death, teammates and former teammates responded to the horrific news:
“I’m in shock right now. His locker was right next to mine,” defensive end Chris Canty said Friday evening. “The sky was the limit for him as a player.”
Former Ravens defensive back Charles James also reacted on social media:
“My time in Baltimore was memorable because of you bro,” James tweeted. “Took you under my wing like a lil brother. Can’t believe it! R.i.p Tray watch over me.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with Walker’s family, the Baltimore Ravens organization and the entire National Football League.
It truly is at times like this that we realize football itself is just a game. May Tray Walker rest in peace!