Ohio State football mourns the death of former Buckeyes quarterback Dwayne Haskins
"We’ve lost a king before we got to watch his (reign)," former Ohio State and NFL safety Malcolm Jenkins tweeted Saturday, referencing the death of former Buckeyes quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr..
Both New Jersey natives, the two never played together in college. They were never teammates professionally — Jenkins just retired after a career with the Saints and Eagles and Haskins' brief time in the NFL was spent in Washington and Pittsburgh. But Haskins' death at age 24 resonated with many in the football fraternity, particularly those with connections to Ohio State.
Mentions of Haskins as a king were frequent, as that is what he aspired to be, a ruler on the field.
"He was a KING and a truly great friend to me and everyone he came around. You’ll be missed by everyone you’ve touched throughout your life," said Ohio State offensive lineman Paris Johnson in a tweet.
Haskins also adopted a lion as symbol of his aspirations, and he chose as a nickname "Simba," that of the main character in Disney's "The Lion King."
"Damn Simba. This one ain’t real," former Buckeye defensive lineman Haskell Garrett posted on social media.
"Fly High Simba" echoed another former member of the Ohio State defense, Darron Lee. "See you when I get there."
It wasn't only former Buckeyes weighing in. Current OSU quarterback C.J. Stroud shared his thoughts, offering in a post that he was "hurt" and "lost for words."
Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith offered a statement saying, "Shocked and saddened by the devastating news about Dwayne. He was a legend on the field and truly a tremendous human being. Prayers to the Haskins’ family."
"Absolutely devastated," wrote Ohio State quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis. "He was an incredible person, a great friend, and Brother. No doubt where he is right now. Love you Dwayne, Rest In Peace."
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And coach Ryan Day, who was offensive coordinator when Haskins was at OSU tweeted, "The loss of Dwayne is beyond tragic and extremely difficult to process. For those who knew him closely, he was much more than a great football player. He had a giant heart, old soul and an infectious smile. The Ohio State community and our entire football program are heartbroken."
A teammate in Pittsburgh and a former Buckeye, Cam Heyward said, "Dwayne meant so much to so many people. His smile was infectious and he was a guy you wanted to be around. We are all in shock about losing him. We are going to miss the heck out of him as well. We lost you way too early. Luckily I got a chance to get to know you. RIP DH."
Parris Campbell was the receiver who caught the majority of Haskins' passes during the quarterback's record-setting 2018 season. "LEGEND," Campbell wrote simply before posting Haskins' uniform number of 7.
Campbell caught 12 of Haskins' 50 touchdown passes that year, an incredible feat that almost no former Buckeye mentioned in their messages. Instead they focused on what kind of man and teammate they found Haskins to be.
"Tough to find the words… you will be missed," tweeted Joe Burrow, who had competed with Haskins for the starting job before transferring to LSU and going on to take the Bengals to the Super Bowl during his second year in the NFL.
"One of my college roommates," mourned Jordan Fuller. "We played in the same 8th grade all star game… we talked about a reunion trip during one of these off-seasons, it felt like we had time."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Dwayne Haskins mourned by teammates, coaches, former Buckeyes
