Steelers Quarterback Dies After Being Hit by Truck

Dwayne Haskins, a Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback who starred at Ohio State—throwing 50 touchdown passes in a single season and finishing third in the Heisman Trophy voting—died Saturday after being struck by a truck. He was 24. Haskins was in South Florida to train with other Steelers skill position players, USA Today reports. "I am devastated and at a loss for words, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement, adding: "Dwayne was a great teammate, but even more so a tremendous friend to so many. I am truly heartbroken."

A Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman said Haskins was hit by a dump truck Saturday on Interstate 595 while walking. Lt. Indiana Miranda didn't say why he was on the interstate. "He was just walking on the highway and got hit," Miranda said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, per the AP. "Dwayne was a talented young man who had a long life ahead of him," said Ron Rivera, head coach of Washington, which drafted Haskins in 2019, per CBS Sports. Tomlin called Haskins "one of our hardest workers, both on the field and in our community."

Haskins won the Buckeyes starting job from Joe Burrow in 2018. In his only season as the starter, Haskins threw for 4,831 yards, completing 70% of his passes. He won the award as the Big Ten's best player. He was picked 15th overall by Washington in the 2019 NFL Draft. In his first season, Haskins threw seven touchdowns and seven interceptions in nine games. He had five touchdown passes the next season, then was released in December 2020. The Steelers signed him in January 2021 but didn't play him last season. "The world lost a great person today," Steelers teammate TJ Watt tweeted. (More NFL stories.)