'An Unbelievable Kid': Eagles Mourn Death of Hugh Douglas' Son, Dead at 20
The Philadelphia Eagles and the Philly sports community are in mourning regarding the news of the son of former Eagles Pro Bowl defensive end Hugh Douglas dying in a car crash on Monday night.
Hugh Douglas, 20, and Christion Files Jr., also 20, were pronounced dead after their vehicle crashed head-on into a utility pole and flipped over in a suburb of Atlanta at around 5 p.m., as the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
“You were already a better man than me,” Douglas wrote on Twitter in memory of his beloved son, part of a touching series of posts from Douglas that included a series of photos of their family and friends.
Police assessment of the situation suggests the pair’s vehicle tried to pass another car at a high rate of speed, but that Files Jr. lost control and drove off the road, knocking down two utility poles.
Both young men, friends and roommates in school, were scheduled to graduate from Morehouse College in 2025. Douglas was described as an “exceptional student who displayed immense dedication,” and was majoring in business administration.
The elder Douglas was a three-time Pro Bowler who spent 10 years in the NFL. He was drafted in the first round by the New York Jets and played there for two seasons from 1995 to 1997 before being traded to the Eagles ahead of the season in 1998. He now works as a mid-day host at the Philadelphia sports station WIP.
"I just want to share our sympathy and our prayers with Hugh Douglas and his family after the tragic passing of his son,'' Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said this week. "We're really thinking about them a lot, Hugh and (wife) Simona and just want to give our sympathies there. Very tragic. ... I'm told the young man was an unbelievable kid.''
