Dwayne Haskins: Life, Death and Legacy

Dwayne Haskins Jr. was an American football player who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons. He played as a quarterback for the Washington Redskins from 2019 to 2021. After his release from the Washington Redskins, he signed for the Pittsburgh Steelers and served as a backup until his death on April 9, 2022.

Early Life

Haskins was born on May 3, 1997 in New Jersey but his family moved to Maryland when he was in grade school (ninth grade). He started playing football in high school and soon developed into an outstanding player. At college level, he was a great player and won a number of awards. Among many other honors, he won the Kellen Moore Award and the Sammy Baugh Trophy. He also set Big Ten Conference records for passing yards and touchdowns in a single season. Hawkins attended Ohio State University where he majored in journalism. However, by 2019, he had become such a hot property that he decided to forgo the remaining two years of his college education and play professional football.

Move to Washington Redskins

On May 9, 2019, Haskins signed a four-year rookie contract with the Washington Redskins. The contract was worth $14.37 million and included an $8.47 million signing bonus. The Washington Redskins gave Hawkins the previously retired jersey number 7 and expected him to do great things for the club. Unfortunately, Hawkins was unable to translate his potential at collegiate football to solid achievements during his time at the Washington Redskins. After less than two years into his four-year contract, Dwayne Hawkins was released by the Washington Redskins.

Dwayne Haskins with the Pittsburgh Steelers

After leaving the Washington Redskins, Hawkins signed for the Pittsburgh Steelers in January 2021. He was named the third-string quarterback of the team. This was supposed to have motivated him to up his game and it probably did. He was active for most of the games played by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2021 season. In March 2022, he signed a one-year contract as a restricted free agent with the team.

Personal Life

Dwayne Haskins was married to Kalabrya Gondrezick-Haskins. His nickname was Simba which he got from the 1994 film The Lion King. Haskins had a clothing brand called Kingdom of Pride and he was very popular in his community.

Dwayne Haskins Jr. Death and Legacy

Haskins died on April 9, 2022 after getting struck by a dump truckon interstate 595. At the time of his death, he was in the Fort Lauderdale area with several team mates and was looking forward to vigorous training and more football matches. So far, Haskins’ legacy as a football player is a mixed one. He had a great talent and huge prospects but the popular view is that he did not translate his talent to success on the field.