Kevin O'Connell speaks at Khyree Jackson's funeral: 'Thank you, Khyree'

Jackson, 24, was laid to rest Friday in his hometown of Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Khyree Jackson on May 20, 2024 during the first day of Vikings OTAs. / Image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

Members of the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff and some players attended the funeral for 24-year-old Khyree Jackson on Friday, three weeks after the fourth-round pick from the University of Oregon was killed in a car crash in his hometown of Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

The funeral service was held jointly for Jackson and Isaiah Hazel, a 23-year-old former high school classmate of Jackson who along with 24-year-old A.J. Hytton, who was laid to rest on Tuesday, died in the July 6 crash.

Among the Vikings personnel in attendance were head coach Kevin O'Connell, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, defensive coordinator Brian Flores, special teams coordinator Matt Daniels, defensive backs coach Daronte Jones, and rookie edge rusher Dallas Turner, who played with Jackson at the University of Alabama in 2021 and 2022.

O'Connell spoke at the funeral and told a story of how Jackson put the team first.

"I personally can tell you I tried to talk him into getting his shoulder fixed, knowing how important he was to the future of our organization," O'Connell said before pausing for a moment to compose his emotions, "it was a decision that quite honestly most players in our league don't think twice about. They shouldn't, they should get it fixed, they should think about themselves and the betterment of their career and how they can be the best versions of themself. I wouldn't have held it against him for one bit if he decided it was time to fix that shoulder, but not Khyree. He looked at me and said, 'Nope, I can play. I have to be out there with my brothers. I would rather do what I have to do and fight through it to be there and try to help my team win.'"

Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell talking about Khyree Jackson today at his funeral. Here he mentioned that Khyree was fighting through shoulder issues, and wanted to play through it for the betterment of the team.

“He looked at me, and said, ‘Nope, I can play. I have to be out there… pic.twitter.com/3ffDQruVAW

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) July 26, 2024

"He made an impact," O'Connell said in closing, according to People. "Thank you, Khyree, for being everything that we hoped for when we drafted you… There was just something about you that drew us closer and closer… We promise that you will be with us every step of the way."

Throughout this season, the Vikings will be wearing helmet decals bearing the initials KJ. Coaches will have the initials on lapel pins. Jackson's No. 31 will go unused this season, and his locker at TCO Performance Center will remain visible and untouched.