Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson had just intercepted the football at a critical juncture in the 2023 Pac-12 Championship. Due to a burst of passion and celebration, he went into full-body cramps.
This was one of the first memories of Jackson that came to mind when Oregon head coach Dan Lanning stood inside Autzen Stadium at Jackson’s candlelight vigil on July 10.
“When he made a play, it was special,” Lanning said at the vigil. “But when he celebrated a play, it was that much more special because this guy celebrated every part of life.”
Jackson was killed in a tragic car accident on July 6. He was visiting his hometown of Upper Marlboro, Maryland during a break between the Minnesota Vikings’ minicamp and training camp. Jackson’s high school teammates Isaiah Hazel and Anthony Lytton Jr. were also in the car and did not survive.
It’s evident through the stories shared by Jackson’s teammates, coaches and friends over the past month how much of an impact he had along every stop in life he made.
“His story was one of resilience. He was taking steps to become the best version of himself not just for him, but for those who cared about and looked up to him,” Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said via a statement after Jackson’s death. “Khyree’s personality captured every room he was in.”
Jackson was selected with the No. 108 pick in the fourth round of April’s 2024 NFL Draft by Minnesota. His path to getting drafted into the league was untraditional. Instead of receiving Division I offers, he went to Arizona Western College out of high school with the intention of playing football there.
Jackson ended up going home to Maryland where he worked in the deli of a Harris Teeter supermarket.
He returned to football in 2019. Jackson spent a season at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas where he became one of the top defensive prospects in junior college nationally. He transferred to East Mississippi College the next year, but the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Then, Jackson got the opportunity to play for the reigning NCAA Champions at the time — The University of Alabama Crimson Tide.
The cornerback impressed throughout his two seasons at Alabama. He recorded 14 total tackles, including 11 solo tackles. Jackson entered the transfer portal at the end of the 2022 season, where the stars aligned for him to go to Oregon.
Jackson influenced the Ducks quickly after his arrival in Eugene. Between his competitiveness and joy, he was someone who brought the best out of his teammates on and off the field.
“If you’re around Khyree, you’re going to have a good day,” Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson said at the candlelight vigil.
Jackson’s teammates were always inspired to give their best because they knew Jackson would. He tallied 34 tackles, three interceptions and two sacks during the 2023 season. Jackson was named First Team All-Pac-12.
“You wanted to play so good because Khyree was playing good,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t just that he was playing good on the field. He was the same way in life.”
Jackson landed with the Vikings seven years after graduating high school. The Minnesota locker room already felt the same mentality that his Ducks teammates saw throughout his year at Oregon.
“It was pretty remarkable to hear the kind of impact that he had in such a short amount of time,” Vikings’ head coach Kevin O’Connell said to the media ahead of Minnesota’s training camp.
Both the Ducks and the Vikings will honor Jackson this season. Oregon unveiled helmet decals that pay tribute to Jackson and tight end Spencer Webb — who died in 2022. Meanwhile, the Vikings announced that they would pay $20,000 for Jackson’s funeral expenses and pay his signing bonus to his estate. Minnesota will also wear helmet decals in 2024.
The fighting spirit that Jackson displayed in his career and his life will remain with the Ducks. His story will live on through the people and the teams he crossed paths with.
“I hope that every one of us can learn from his trials and tribulations to reach his goal and it can help some of us reach those same goals,” Lanning said at the candlelight vigil. “I know that Khyree’s going to have that impact.”