The NFL fraternity came together again but with a heavy heart. The Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Brenden Rice poured in his condolences at the demise of 24-year-old Minnesota Vikings phenom Khyree Jackson. The rookie cornerback was killed in a car crash in Maryland on Saturday, July 6. Jerry Rice’s son has been deeply affected by the loss of Jackson, with whom he tussled in the Senior Bowl.

Besides, this is the second time in three months that Brenden had to deal with the news of death. To cope with the loss, he took to Instagram to share his insights about life.   

Brenden extends his heartfelt condolences to Jackson

It’s a big loss for the world of football. As sources confirm, Jackson had been killed along with two of his high school friends, Isaiah Hazel and Anthony Lytton, when the Dodge Charger they were traveling in crashed near the player’s hometown of Upper Marlboro. The tragic update did not take long to reach the NFL world. Brenden became one of the first players to send his thoughts. Re-sharing the condolence post on the NFL page, the Chargers phenom wrote, “Rest up brotha..gone too soon.” 

Jackson’s demise had been no less than a personal loss for Brenden, with whom Jerry Rice’s son had fought on the field as he caught a TD catch at the Senior Bowl in February while Jackson tried his best to pin him down. Since he had been so moved by the news, it made Brenden rethink how most of us take things for granted. He dropped a heartfelt message in the Instagram story that followed, “Tell somebody you love em today. You never know what could happen.” Jackson’s death has hit Brenden particularly hard, as he had been already reeling from the loss of his dear pal, Texas A&M wide receiver Keith Miller III, in April.  

Losing his best friend is still weighing heavily on Brenden’s mind

April 27, 2024, is a date Brenden will remember for the longest time. On this day, the Los Angeles Chargers had drafted him at No. 225 in the third round. Then, he had to travel to Dallas to attend the funeral of his best friend, Keith Miller III. When Jerry’s son answered the call from the Chargers’ general manager, Joe Hortiz, he was waiting to board a flight for the service as he served as the pallbearer. 

Miller III passed away on April 11 at 23, and his family and friends scheduled his funeral for April 27. Miller and Brenden played together in Colorado Buffaloes before transferring to different programs and garnered a strong bond in Boulder. Brenden, devastated by the loss of his best friend, shared what he had been going through on his Instagram story. “Yesterday I began to drop 4 rounds from where I was supposed to go. Today I laid my brother to rest in Dallas,” wrote Brenden. 

According to a report put forward by Texas A&M University-Commerce website, Miller III died in his apartment. Khyree Jackson and Brenden’s best pal, Miller III, are young souls who went away too soon, leaving a void in the NFL world.