Andrew Buller-Russ
Derek Hayden Jr., otherwise known as D.J. Hayden, the 12th overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft, was killed at the age of 33 in a car collision near downtown Houston, Texas, early Saturday morning.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Hayden was among six people who were killed after a car sped through a red light on Fannin Street at roughly 2 A.M. CST.
Four people were immediately pronounced dead at the scene, including former University of Houston football player Zach McMillan.
After being drafted by the Raiders in 2013, Hayden played three years in Oakland before joining the Detroit Lions in 2017. Hayden then played three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and closed out his NFL career with the Washington Commanders (Football Team) in 2021.
- D.J. Hayden’s NFL stats: 328 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 46 PD, 4 INT, 4 FF
Hayden’s collegiate career also included a scare, where Hayden’s chest was on the receiving end of a collision involving his teammate’s knee. This incident tore a large vein in Hayden’s heart and reportedly includes a fatality rate of 95 percent. Yet, after having season-ending surgery, Hayden continued playing the sport he loved, and became a first-round selection just months later, playing 92 games in the NFL.
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