D.J. Hayden played for the Lions in 2017.
D.J. Hayden, a former Detroit Lions defensive back, died tragically.
Hayden was one of six people killed in a car accident in Houston, according to multiple reports.
The talented defensive back, a former first-round draft pick in 2013, spent the 2017 season with the Lions after previously playing for the Raiders, Jaguars, and Commanders.
The crash happened early Saturday morning, according to reports.
The 33-year-old overcame a serious medical situation in college and went on to be the No. 12 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.
“It was just another day at practice.” “It was team vs. scout team,” Heyden recalled to Bleacher Report. “They lobbed the ball at me. My body collided with the safety. His knee struck me in the chest. I collapsed to the ground. I felt as if the wind had been knocked out of me. “I wasn’t breathing properly when I was breathing.”
Doctors diagnosed Hayden with a tear of the inferior vena cava, the largest vein in the body responsible for returning blood from the lower half of the body to the heart, after he sought medical attention.
Hayden started one game in Detroit and had nine passes defensed, two fumble recoveries, and a touchdown in 16 games.
John Maakaron is a Detroit Lions Insider who covers the team for FanNation.
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