Malcolm Jenkins: "We Lost a King Before We Got to Watch His Rein"

The former Eagles safety was only one of many to respond to the tragic loss of Dwayne Haskins and his "big heart and infectious smile"

Reaction from across the country poured in after Dwayne Haskins was struck and killed by a dump truck while trying to cross a Florida highway early Saturday morning.

Leave it to Malcolm Jenkins, the former Eagles and Saints safety, the excellent purveyor of social injustice, to really hit home with his tweet that ended poignantly, “We lost a king before we got to watch his rein.”

This is incredibly sad news. My heart goes out to the Haskins family and all his loved ones. We’ve lost a king before we got to watch his rein 🕊👑 @dh_simba7 https://t.co/TYgtF3Rh4R pic.twitter.com/2HTGMdDz3v

— Malcolm Jenkins (@MalcolmJenkins) April 9, 2022

Twenty-four hours after the tragedy, not much more is known as to why Haskins was trying to cross the road at 6:30 a.m., but that doesn’t matter much.

Mike Golic Jr.’s tweet hit home for me.

It began, “I just keep staring at “24 years old…” 

My "children" are 25, 21, and 19. 

Haskins was a life lost too soon, and, judging by the outpouring of love and support, a good life at that.

That’s what matters most.

I just keep staring at “24 years old”. there’s nothing original to say. love and light to his family and teammates during this hell. love your people.

— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) April 9, 2022

Football, though, is how we know him.

He had a wildly successful season at Ohio State – where Jenkins played years before Haskins arrived on campus.

In 2018, his lone season as the Buckeyes’ starter, Haskins threw 50 touchdowns and was a finalist for the Maxwell Award and Heisman Trophy.

He grew up in Highland Park, N.J, ultimately reaching 6-4, and was selected 15th overall by Washington in the 2019 draft. Haskins was the third quarterback taken that year, behind Kyler Murray (first overall) and Daniel Jones (sixth) and the last one taken before Drew Lock went 27 picks later to the Broncos.

Haskins flashed his ability against the Eagles.

It was late in his rookie season, week 15, when he kept Washington in a tight game by completing 19 of 28 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns.

The Eagles won 37-27 but needed a four-yard touchdown catch by Greg Ward from Carson Wentz with 28 seconds left to make the score 31-27. Nigel Bradham iced the verdict with a 48-yard fumble return for a TD as time expired to keep Philadelphia’s playoff hopes alive.

It looked like a launch-point game for Haskins, one he could take into Year 2.

It didn't happen. He was ultimately released by Washington and signed by the Steelers, expected to compete with Mitchell Trubisky to be the starter this season.

That's not what matters. Not now. Not with family and friends left behind to grieve and try make sense of it all.

Trubisky, who is from Ohio, was just getting to know Haskins. The two men were training together, along with other teammates, in Florida when the tragic accident occurred.

"I am absolutely heartbroken,” Trubisky wrote on social media. “Dwayne has made such an impact on me in a short period of time. He welcomed me to his team with his big heart and infectious smile. I am so thankful to have known Dwayne. All my love and prayers are with his family."

Big heart and infectious smile.

That is what should be remembered about Haskins in a sporting world where it is sometimes easy to think you know someone for what they did, or didn’t do, in competition, but not know a single thing about the person apart from that.

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.