Vikings contribute to Jackson’s funeral services

Kevin Seifert, ESPN Staff WriterJul 22, 2024, 04:23 PM ET
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EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings finalized a series of plans Monday to honor fourth-round draft choice Khyree Jackson, who was killed in a July 6 car accident, including a $20,000 contribution for funeral expenses.

Family members have scheduled a joint funeral for Friday with Isaiah Hazel, a high school teammate of Jackson and one of three people killed in the accident in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Maryland state police have said that alcohol might have been a factor in the three-car accident, and the Prince George’s County state’s attorney office is investigating.

A contingent of Vikings officials will attend Friday’s funeral, including general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, coach Kevin O’Connell, defensive coordinator Brian Flores, special teams coordinator Matt Daniels and passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Daronte Jones. The team will also hold a private memorial in Minnesota for players and staff, O’Connell said Monday, with Jackson’s family in attendance.

In addition, the Vikings said they would:

* Pay Jackson’s signing bonus of $827,148 to his estate. The team also referred reporters to the NFL Players Association, which it said could provide further financial assistance to the family. An NFLPA spokesman did not immediately respond to an ESPN inquiry.

* Avoid assigning Jackson’s No. 31 to another player this season. His locker in the team’s facility will also go unused.

* Give players helmet decals, as well as pins to staff members.

* Apply honorary stencils to the practice fields.

Speaking to reporters for the first time since Jackson’s death, O’Connell recounted receiving an early morning phone call to inform him of the news. “It stays with you,” he said.

“You felt [Jackson] had such a laser focus on what his mission and what his plan was,” O’Connell said. “It really showed up in the spring. He had a very, very good spring and was really looking forward to coming back to training camp and being well on his way [and] on that path to having a big impact on our team for this year. Just some of my personal dialogue with him and the work he was putting in throughout the summer, you just knew he was going to come back and do that.”

Adofo-Mensah recalled his pre-draft visit with Jackson, during which the two talked about Jackson’s interest in the musical artist Major 9.

“He said something to me that ultimately helped lead to why we wanted to bring him into this building,” Adofo-Mensah said, “and speaks a lot to how he was brought up. He said, ‘There’s no wishes in this life. You get out of life what you put into it.’ Between his joy, the way he attacked life, and also just that hard-working spirit, was partly why we were so excited to add him to this building, this culture.”

In other news as the Vikings opened training camp:

* Tight end T.J. Hockenson will start camp on the physically unable to perform list as he continues to recover from a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee.

* Speaking on the arrest of receiver Jordan Addison, who was cited July 12 with suspicion of driving under the influence, Adofo-Mensah said: “Any disappointment we might have in Jordan, Jordan has more in himself. Jordan holds himself to a high standard. He was raised by a great family. He knows the types of behaviors he needs to do to be the best version of himself. And he’s kind of let himself down in that regard. Using words like discipline and different things like that, we don’t really talk about it like that inside these walls. Inside these walls, it’s about designing for the outcome we want.

“The outcome we want is for Jordan to be the best version of himself on the field and off the field , and he’s bought into that same exact same thing. How do you do that from a plan standpoint? Who do you have to have him talk to, speak with, to learn the things that he needs to learn to get to where he needs to go?”