Dallas Turner was absent from practice at the Minnesota Vikings’ training camp on Friday. Instead of being in Eagan, Minnesota, the rookie linebacker traveled to Upper Marlboro, Maryland, to attend the funeral of his former Alabama and Vikings teammate, Khyree Jackson.
Turner was joined by Minnesota teammates Jeshaun Jones and Taki Taimani, as well as coaches Kevin O’Connell, Brian Flores, Matt Daniels, and Daronte Jones, along with Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden.
“We entered the University of Alabama at the same time,” Turner said after practice on Thursday. “He was a bit older, but it was wild because we were on the same locker row. His locker was just a few down from mine, so I saw him every day and witnessed his growth from Alabama to now.”
“When he moved to Oregon, he faced his own challenges, but we ended up at the same place again, which felt significant to me. He was my guy every day after practice; we’d hang out at the hotel, talking and joking around. He played a big role in helping me grow as a person and in understanding who I am. He boosted my confidence both on and off the field. He was a truly influential person in my life.”
According to the Maryland State Police report, Jackson was a passenger in a Dodge Charger involved in a three-vehicle collision in his hometown of Upper Marlboro. State Troopers responded to the crash at 3:14 a.m. EDT on July 6.
The preliminary investigation revealed that an Infiniti Q50, traveling at high speed, struck the Charger and a Chevrolet Impala while trying to change lanes. The Charger then left the road and collided with several tree stumps.
While the occupants of the other two vehicles were unharmed, the three people in the Charger, including driver Isaiah Hazel and passenger Anthony Lytton Jr., were killed. Lytton and Hazel were Jackson’s high school teammates at Dr. Henry Wise Jr. High School in Upper Marlboro.
The celebration of life on Friday also honored Hazel. Jones had been Hazel’s teammate at Maryland, and Taimani had played alongside Jackson at Oregon, where Jackson transferred after his time at Alabama in 2021 and 2022.
“I didn’t want to believe it, honestly,” Turner said about Jackson’s death. “It took me a week or two to come to terms with it. It was definitely hard, without a doubt.
“Khyree Jackson was a truly genuine person. He was never too important to talk to anyone or to ask for advice. He was a very sincere individual, so this is really tough.”
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