Cardale Jones wrapped up his football career at Ohio State in 2015. Dwayne Haskins enrolled at the school for the following season, eventually becoming the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback, a Heisman finalist and a first-round NFL draft pick.
While the two never overlapped in school, Jones made it clear at an Ohio State candlelight vigil for Haskins, who was struck by a dump truck and killed on Saturday morning, that they shared a bond as Buckeyes.
During his speech, Jones praised Haskins’s character, while taking a swipe at some unnamed media outlets who were critical of the late quarterback’s career in the hours after his death.
“I feel like we’re all here today to grieve together, to pay our respects and somewhat celebrate Dwayne’s life,” Jones said, in a video published by Griffin Strom of Eleven Warriors. “Some of the bogus comments about his character, who he was from these media outlets, analysts. This is who Dwayne was. Everybody here who he touched on the field and off the field. A selfless kid. Someone who would give you the clothes off his back. It just sucks that his life was cut so short.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter caught heat for foregrounding Haskins’s professional struggles in the tweet in which he broke the tragic news. Before deleting and rephrasing the news, he wrote, “Dwayne Haskins, a standout at Ohio State before struggling to catch on with Washington and Pittsburgh in the NFL, died this morning when he got hit by a car in South Florida.”
He later apologized on his podcast days later.
Former Cowboys executive Gil Brandt also found himself in hot water after some incredibly inflammatory remarks about Haskins when asked about the quarterback’s death during a Saturday radio interview.
“This morning while learning of Dwayne Haskins’ passing, I reacted carelessly and insensitively on a radio interview,” Brandt tweeted that afternoon. “I want to apologize to Mr. Haskins’ family and anyone who heard my poor choice of words. I truly apologize. My heart goes out to his family at this difficult time.”
Haskins, who was in Florida for workouts with Steelers teammates, was just 24 years old.
