EAGAN, Minn. – Khyree Jackson wasn't a member of the Vikings family long, but he made a lasting impact.
Jackson tragically died in a car accident on July 6. His memory will be carried on by the team this season.
"The way our culture is and, more importantly, speaking to our locker room and our players, it does not take long for guys to build strong bonds and relationships," Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell said. "Just through my dialogue throughout the summer with some of our veteran leadership, and they were communicating their feelings and things, it was pretty remarkable to hear the kind of impact [Khyree] had in such a short amount of time."
O'Connell and Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spoke with Twin Cities media members Monday about a variety of topics but opened their session by remembering Jackson and mourning his loss.
Adofo-Mensah recalled first noticing Jackson up close in February at the Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.
"They were doing 1-on-1 reps in the red zone. He had a pension for commentary, let's just say," Adofo-Mensah said with a smile, "and the player he was going against didn't seem to be having very much fun. But Khyree, Khyree was just a joyful spirit.
"Fast forward to Top 30 visits when he's sitting in my office, and I ask a lot of guys the same questions to kind of break down some of the barriers that can happen in those environments," Adofo-Mensah continued. "You really get to see what's inside their soul, what kinds of things they value, how they were raised. And he's talking me through his favorite song by Major Nine and said something to me that, you know, ultimately helped lead to why we wanted to bring him [to this team]. He said, 'Kwesi, there's no wishes in this life. You get out of life what you put into it.'
"Between his joy, the way he attacked life and that hard-working spirit were why we were so excited to add him to this building, to this culture," he added.
O'Connell recalled being at his home in California when the early morning call came through.
"It's the call you, as a head coach – and I've had some dialogue with a lot of other coaches around the league, as well – we all absolutely fear more than anything," he said. "Especially this time of year where you've had an offseason program, the energy is high, the enthusiasm is high, you're hoping to get your team back – and to get that call, not only Kyree but two other lives tragically lost. All young adults gone way, way too early."
A funeral for Jackson and Isaiah Hazel, one of his two friends who also perished in the crash, is scheduled for Friday, July 26.
Members of the Vikings organization who will attend the service include Adofo-Mensah, O'Connell, Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores, Special Teams Coordinator Matt Daniels and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones.
The team is contributing more than $20,000 toward the funeral expenses and will pay out the remainder of Jackson's signing bonus to his estate.
The team also intends to host Jackson's family at a private Vikings celebration of life in Minnesota with Jackson's teammates and coaches.
Jackson's No. 31 jersey and his locker at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center will remain unused for the 2024 season. Players will wear helmet decals with his initials for the entire season, while coaches and staff will have the opportunity to wear pins with the same design. In addition, stenciling on the Vikings practice fields will be dedicated to Jackson's memory.
Adofo-Mensah credited Vikings Owners Mark and Zygi Wilf with providing the necessary resources to pay proper respects to Minnesota's fourth-round draft pick.
"It's never a question of details or anything like that. It's always, 'What's the decent thing? What's the human thing? What is the right thing to do?' That's always the questions they ask myself, Rob [Brzezinski] and Kevin in these environments," Adofo-Mensah explained. "We always give them that answer, and they always support it. So I want to make sure I mention them in this setting.
"We'll continue to honor Khyree," continued Adofo-Mensah. "I know I've lost [my] father early, a close friend in college at a young age, and how I honored them and how we'll honor Khyree is by memories we have with him … and when we think and laugh and smile at what he might have said or what he might have done. How we live our lives, how we smile, how we live with joy, how we work hard and how we approach our craft. That's how we'll honor him on a day-to-day basis."
As Jackson's teammates navigate the grieving process, they have been supported by Vikings leadership and been reminded of mental health resources available within the organization.
Because the accident occurred during the team's break between minicamp and training camp, most of the players and coaches were away from the facility when receiving the tragic news. O'Connell noted virtual connection opportunities made available for players, particularly Jackson's rookie classmates, in the days immediately following his passing.
"We wanted to make sure first and foremost in the initial aftermath, guys didn't feel like they were on their own," O'Connell said. "And as we work through training camp, we'll talk, we'll have those team-meeting settings where we'll make sure the communication [continues]."
O'Connell made sure to set aside some time for the 38 players who reported to training camp Sunday, before the remaining veterans report Tuesday.
"Normally, I'd like to have one collective, big team meeting when everybody arrives," he said, "but I did feel like it was important to get those guys together after the early report conditioning test. Just made sure that I touched on it with that group and made sure, again, they're aware of the resources and the great folks we do have to help through traumatic times like this – as well as just let them know how I was feeling and where I'm at, the vulnerable side of the head coach, to let them know it's OK to feel however they're feeling."
