A former Penn State cornerback was one of three people killed in a car accident in Maryland on Saturday morning. According to Maryland State Police, Anthony “AJ” Litton Jr. (24) was one of three people killed in a three-vehicle accident in Prince George's County, a suburb of Washington, D.C. Also killed were Vikings rookie cornerbacks Kyrie Jackson (24) and Isaiah Hazell (23), who played college football at the University of Maryland and the University of Charlotte. Litton played two seasons at Florida State University and one season at Penn State. Litton was a native of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, where the accident occurred. The Penn State football department said on social media that they are “mourning the loss of former Nittany Lion AJ Litton.” Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, high school and all those involved in this tragedy. “The Vikings released a statement saying the team had spoken with Jackson's family and “we are devastated by this news.” Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in a statement, “We are heartbroken over the loss of Kyrie. As we got to know him through the pre-draft process, it became clear what goals Kyrie wanted to achieve professionally and personally. His story was one of resilience. He was taking steps to become his best self, not just for himself, but for those who care about and respect him.” Jackson was the Vikings' fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He played two years at Alabama before finishing his collegiate career with one season at Oregon. Jackson was in the running to win the starting cornerback position at the team's training camp, which begins later this month in Eagan, Minnesota. “We are at a loss for words. Our hearts go out to Kyrie's family, friends, teammates and coaches,” Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said in a statement. Police said Jackson died at the scene. Jackson, Litton and Hazel all won state championships together at Dr. Henry A. Wise Middle School in Maryland, according to On3.com. The three were in the same car at the time of the accident. Hazel was driving, and Jackson and Litton were passengers, according to police. Investigators believe the driver of a second car traveling northbound was attempting to change lanes “at a high rate of speed” when he struck Hazel and the third car. No one in the second or third car was injured. Investigators said alcohol may have played a role in the accident, and charges are pending “investigation and consultation with the Prince George's County Prosecutor's Office.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A former Penn State cornerback was one of three people killed in a car crash in Maryland Saturday morning.
Maryland State Police said Anthony “AJ” Litton Jr., 24, was one of three people killed in the three-vehicle crash in Prince George's County, just outside Washington, D.C. Vikings freshman cornerbacks Kyrie Jackson, 24, and Isaiah Hazell, 23, who played college football at the University of Maryland and the University of Charlotte, were also killed.
Litton, who played two seasons at Florida State and one at Penn State, is a native of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, where the accident occurred.
“We are mourning the loss of former Nittany Lion AJ Litton. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, high school and all those involved in this tragedy,” the Penn State football program said in a social media post.
This content is imported from Facebook. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
The Vikings released a statement saying the team had spoken with Jackson's family and was “devastated by this news.”
“We are heartbroken by Kyrie's passing,” Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in a statement. “As we got to know him through the pre-draft process, it became clear to us the goals Kyrie wanted to achieve both professionally and personally. His story is one of resilience — he took each step to become the best version of himself, not only for himself, but for those who cared about and respected him.”
Jackson was a fourth-round pick by the Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft. He played two years at Alabama before finishing his collegiate career with one season at Oregon.
Jackson was expected to compete for the starting cornerback spot when the team's training camp begins later this month in Eagan, Minnesota.
“I'm at a loss for words. My heartfelt condolences go out to Kyrie's family, friends, teammates and coaching staff,” Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said in a statement.
Police said Jackson died at the scene.
Jackson, Litton and Hazel won a state championship together at Dr. Henry A. Wise Middle School in Maryland, according to On3.com.
They were in the same car at the time of the crash, with Hazel driving and Jackson and Litton as passengers, police said.
Investigators believe the driver of a second vehicle traveling northbound attempted to change lanes “at a high rate of speed,” striking the car driven by Hazell and a third vehicle.
There were no injuries in the second and third vehicles.
Investigators say alcohol may have been a contributing factor in the accident, and charges are being withheld pending “investigation and consultation with the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
