Dwayne Haskins Jr. was born May 3, 1997, and died April 9, 2022. He was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League.
Haskins set Big Ten passing records at Ohio State before playing for Washington and Pittsburgh.
Who is Dwayne Haskins?
Dwayne Haskins Jr. was an NFL quarterback who played for the Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He first built his name at Ohio State, where he set Big Ten Conference records for single-season passing yards and touchdowns in 2018.
Washington selected Haskins 15th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. He spent less than two seasons there before Washington released him in December 2020.
He then signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he served as a backup quarterback. Haskins died in April 2022 after a vehicle struck him on a Florida highway, cutting his career short at age 24.
Early Life of Dwayne Haskins
Haskins was born in Highland Park, New Jersey. His family later moved to Potomac, Maryland, when he reached ninth grade.
He attended Bullis School in Potomac, where he started at quarterback from 2013 to 2016. During that stretch, he passed for more than 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns.
His performance at Bullis earned him All-State honors. He also won Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year and helped lead the school to a state title in 2016.
Dwayne Haskins Age
Dwayne Haskins was born on May 3, 1997, and died on April 9, 2022, at age 24. His birth sign was Taurus, a sign often associated with determination and ambition.
He had been preparing for his fourth NFL season at the time of his death. Just weeks earlier, the Steelers had placed a restricted free agent tender on him worth $2.54 million.
Dwayne Haskins Ethnicity and Nationality
Haskins held American nationality and was born in New Jersey. He came from a Christian family, and his faith was something he spoke about publicly during his football career.
His parents, Dwayne Haskins Sr. and Tamara Haskins, raised him in both New Jersey and Maryland. That upbringing shaped much of his early football development before he reached college.
Dwayne Haskins Education
Haskins enrolled at Ohio State University after finishing high school at Bullis School. He committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes football program on National Signing Day in 2016.
While at Ohio State, he majored in journalism. He left school early to enter the NFL Draft, announcing his decision in January 2019 after his redshirt sophomore season.
Dwayne Haskins Career
Haskins built his football career across high school, college, and three NFL seasons. His rise came quickly, but his time in the league ended after less than three years.
Breakthrough at Ohio State
Haskins became Ohio State’s starting quarterback in 2018 after Joe Burrow transferred from the program. In that single season as a starter, Haskins set Big Ten Conference records with 4,831 passing yards and 50 passing touchdowns.
He also posted 4,939 yards of total offense that year. As a result, he led the Buckeyes to a 13-1 record and a win in the Rose Bowl, earning Rose Bowl MVP honors.
His performance also earned him first-team All-Big Ten honors. He finished third in Heisman Trophy voting that same season, behind Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa.
NFL Draft and Washington
Washington selected Haskins with the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year rookie contract worth roughly $14.4 million, including an $8.5 million signing bonus.
He requested to wear jersey number 7, a number unofficially retired in honor of former Washington quarterback Joe Theismann. Theismann personally granted Haskins permission to wear it.
Haskins started seven games during his rookie season, finishing 2-5 as a starter. In 2020, he opened the year as the starter and a team captain, but Washington benched him after a 1-3 start and later released him that December.
Pittsburgh Steelers and Final Season
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Haskins on a reserve contract in January 2021. He made the Steelers’ 53-man roster that year as a backup behind Ben Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph.
He did not appear in a regular season game for Pittsburgh. Still, in March 2022, the Steelers placed a $2.54 million restricted free agent tender on him, and he was set to compete for a larger role that offseason.
Over his NFL career, Haskins earned more than $15.2 million in salary and bonuses. He also worked with brands including Nike, Gatorade, Oakley, and Old Spice during his time in the league.
Dwayne Haskins Awards and Recognition
Haskins collected several honors during his final season at Ohio State in 2018. His awards included the Sammy Baugh Trophy and the Kellen Moore Award.
He also won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Big Ten’s top player. In addition, he earned the Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year and Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year awards.
That same year, he was named Male Ohio State Athlete of the Year. He also picked up six Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors across the season.
Dwayne Haskins Wife
Haskins married Kalabrya Gondrezick-Haskins in March 2021. She played college basketball at Michigan State University before their marriage.
Kalabrya is the daughter of former NBA player Grant Gondrezick. Her sister, Kysre Gondrezick, played in the WNBA for the Indiana Fever.
In July 2021, the couple had a public altercation at a hotel in Las Vegas. Kalabrya faced a felony battery and domestic violence charge after the incident, which left Haskins with facial injuries, including a missing tooth.
Those charges were later dismissed. Despite the incident, the couple remained married until Haskins’ death in April 2022.
Does Dwayne Haskins Have a Daughter?
Dwayne Haskins did not have any children. He and his wife, Kalabrya, had been married for about a year when he died, and they had no kids together.
Reports of a daughter belonging to Haskins are not accurate. No verified source confirms any child from Haskins, including from relationships before his marriage.
Dwayne Haskins Death
Haskins died on April 9, 2022, while training in South Florida with Steelers teammates. He was attempting to cross the westbound lanes of Interstate 595 near Fort Lauderdale on foot when a dump truck struck him.
Before the accident, Haskins had called his wife to say his car had run out of gas. She later called 911 after he stopped answering her calls, and authorities found him on the highway shortly after.
The Florida Highway Patrol ruled his death an accident. A toxicology report released in May 2022 found Haskins was legally drunk and had ketamine and norketamine in his system at the time.
His death led to three separate memorial services. His wife held one in Pittsburgh, while his parents, Dwayne Sr. and Tamara Haskins, held two more in New Jersey and Maryland.
His parents explained their decision in a statement to WUSA9, saying they had never met Kalabrya and did not want their first meeting to happen at the funeral. Ohio State also honored Haskins during its 2022 spring game following his death.
Dwayne Haskins Social Media
Haskins was active on Twitter under the handle @dh_simba7, where he posted about his football career and family. He maintained a large following throughout his time in the NFL.
His social media accounts remain a place where fans continue to share memories of him. Teammates and coaches also used social platforms to share tributes after his death.
The Bottom Line
Haskins set Big Ten records with 4,831 passing yards and 50 touchdowns during his 2018 season at Ohio State, earning Rose Bowl MVP honors along the way. Washington then selected him 15th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.
He grew up between Highland Park, New Jersey, and Potomac, Maryland, where he starred at Bullis School before college. Haskins was married to Kalabrya Gondrezick-Haskins, a former Michigan State basketball player, and the couple had no children together.
Haskins died on April 9, 2022, after being struck by a dump truck while training with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Florida. Fans, teammates, and coaches across football continue to honor his memory today.
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