Tributes have been paid to former NFL player Chris Payton-Jones after the 30 year-old killed in a car crash.
Payton-Jones died in Alachua County, Florida, when his sedan collided with a pickup truck on State Road 24 Saturday. The football player’s vehicle was engulfed in flames following the head-on collision, the Florida Highway Patrol told Action News Jax.
Payton-Jones, a former cornerback who also played in the United Football League, was pronounced dead at the scene, the FHP said.
In a tribute posted on X, the UFL described Payton-Jones as a “beloved teammate” and an “even greater man.”
“Chris was a beloved teammate and leader in the locker room, who demonstrated the importance of hard work, determination, and resilience throughout his career,” the tribute read.
The post continued: “As importantly, Chris was always a bright soul who everyone throughout the league enjoyed spending time with off-the-field during his three-year tenure.”
Payton-Jones played with the St. Louis Battlehawks in the UFL before announcing his retirement in January.
The Florida-born football player had first made his NFL debut in November 2018, while playing for the Arizona Cardinals. Payton-Jones played 29 games in the NFL until 2021.
During his NFL career, he signed with the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Off the pitch, Payton-Jones steadily built up his Flashflix YouTube channel, which has racked up over 1.3 million views. On his account, he posted videos of sports games which he described as having “cinematic vibes.”
Adam Geis, who coached Payton-Jones at Sandalwood High School, described the late football player as “one of my all-time favorites.”
“The kid never missed a workout, never missed practice, and never wanted to come off the field,” Geis told News 4 Jax. “Everybody loved him. He was always unbelievably positive.”
Geis added: “You were always happy to see him.”
Pat Clark, an associate head coach at Central State University who had previously worked at Sandalwood, told the outlet that Payton-Jones was a “huge inspiration to my coaching career.”
“Chris was the hardest working human being I’ve ever been around, a great player but even better person,” Clark said.
Rhonda Motley, who was Payton Jones’ vice principal at high school, said that the football star often mentored students even after graduating.
“I think the thing he was most proud of was being a father,” Motley told News 4 Jax. “He loved, loved, loved his son.”
During one game three years ago, Payton-Jones he was continuing to play despite finding out that his own father had died that morning.
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