Former 1st-round draft pick reportedly dies in car crash in Houston

Former Raiders’ cornerback D.J. Hayden was one of six people killed in a car collision near downtown Houston early Saturday morning, according to multiple reports including from ESPN.

Hayden reportedly died with former University of Houston teammate Zach McMillan in the collision. Hayden was 33 years old.

The Raiders drafted Hayden with the No. 12 overall draft pick in 2013 out of Houston. Hayden played four seasons with the Raiders before leaving to the Detroit Lions in free agency in 2017. He played a total of nine NFL seasons, retiring after the 2021 season with Washington. He also played three seasons with Jacksonville.

Hayden played in 45 games for the Oakland Raiders with 25 starts.

Hayden was an inspirational story when he was drafted. He overall college practice injury in which his heart was injured and he nearly died. His recovery was well documented and inspired many people