NFL Players Mourn Edwin Jackson's Death Hours Before Super Bowl

Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson, 26, was one of the two persons died after being struck by a pickup truck on Interstate 70 early Sunday morning, hours before the Super Bowl match between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.

Indiana police said Jackson and his Uber driver, 54-year-old Jeffery Monroe, in a 2018 Lincoln had gotten out of the car when they were hit by a Ford F-150 pickup truck.

The university's football coach, Chad Lunsford, released a statement Sunday evening saying, "Edwin Jackson represented not only Georgia Southern but also how a young man should live his life. He earned everything that he was given and has left this world way too soon. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, loved ones and teammates. He will be missed."

The player’s fans and team mates showed immense support and love after the police confirmed Sunday afternoon that Jackson died in the early morning accident.

According to police, the 37-year-old truck driver who they believe was “intoxicated and driving without a license," fled the scene but was apprehended shortly.

Edwin “Pound Cake” Jackson as he was endearingly known by his team mates due to an incident that involved a mini pre-draft fiasco of him missing a flight to Phoenix for a visit with the Arizona Cardinals. In order to appease his coach, at his mother’s suggestion to a proverbial olive branch, he took her famous pound cake to give to the coaching staff for rearranging their schedules to accommodate him. According to his coach, he demonstrated attributes that clearly made him a best defense player to the colts.

Jackson, who was from Atlanta, went to the Georgia Southern University and signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He then spent two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts.

He did not appear in any of the games till 2016 where he was the team’s third leading tackler. Jackson landed himself in the injured reserve list after suffering an injury in 2017 as a result he had to sit out several games in the season.

The Indianapolis Colts said in a statement “We were heartbroken to hear the news of Edwin Jackson's passing. Edwin was loved by all in the Colts organization. We admired his outgoing personality, competitive spirit and hard-working mentality. He was well-respected among all with whom he crossed paths, and he will be greatly missed in our locker room and throughout our entire organization. We also understand that another person lost his life in the accident, only adding to our sorrow on this day. We are shocked and saddened by this tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of both men during this difficult time.”