Ex-NFL star Tarvaris Jackson died on Sunday, April 12, after being involved in a car accident in the Montgomery, Alabama, area. He was 36 years old.
ESPN reported one day after the crash that Jackson’s Chevrolet Camaro veered off a roadway on Sunday evening, later hitting a tree and flipping over. The former professional athlete was pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital.
The Alabama State University alum was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2006 and helped lead the team to the playoffs two years later. As he continued his 10-season career, Jackson also played for the Buffalo Bills and the Seattle Seahawks, where he took home a Super Bowl win in 2013 as the team’s backup quarterback. He left the league as a free agent in 2015 and later began a successful coaching career at his alma mater before joining the staff at Tennessee State University in 2019. He is survived by his wife, Lakitta, and his three children: Tarvaris, Takayla and Tyson.
When news of the football star’s passing made headlines on Monday, the NFL paid tribute to the quarterback in a brief statement on Twitter. “We are saddened to share the passing of former Vikings, Seahawks, and Bills QB Tarvaris Jackson. He was 36,” the league wrote, sharing a black-and-white photo of Jackson in the prime of his QB career.
Russell Wilson, who played with Jackson on the Seahawks from 2013 to 2015, also tweeted in his former teammate’s honor. “TJack… you will be missed. Praying for your family…Love you man. 💔,” the 31-year-old professional athlete wrote on Monday.
In an official statement, the Alabama native’s first NFL team sent their “deepest condolences” to Jackson’s family following the heartbreaking news. “The entire Vikings family is saddened by the news of Tarvaris Jackson being taken from us too soon,” the Minnesota team acknowledged on their website on Monday. “One of Tarvaris’ greatest attributes was his positive outlook and approach. He genuinely cared about others, was a good friend and will be missed by family, teammates and Vikings fans everywhere.”
