HOUSTON — The community is still reeling after three former football players died in a crash downtown on Saturday morning.
D.J. Hayden was among those who died.
Less than 12 hours before his death, Hayden was doing what he loved -- coaching high school football.
"Coach Hayden was on the sidelines with us creating fun like he does every game," Beck Brydon said.
Hayden was in his first season as the defensive backs coach at Second Baptist School in Houston. Hayden had just taken on the role a few months before his death.
"They, obviously, were shocked and devastated. Lots of tears shed," head coach Brydon said about his team when they heard the news.
The team notched their first playoff win on Friday night.
Brydon said Hayden was a natural.
"A phenomenal coach. Showed up every day with a smile on his face," Brydon said. "He was a fun-loving guy with a wealth of experience and he plugged in where he thought he could help us and he did."
Hayden made his mark as a star cornerback at UH. A heart injury during college practice nearly ended his life but he went on to play 10 years in the NFL.
His life perspective was a breath of fresh air for his high school team. Brydon said Hayden taught the team to appreciate life and keep pushing forward.
The now-grieving team will be playing with a new purpose moving forward.
"We're playing for a fallen comrade. He's part of the family and he's no longer with us," Brydon said. "We will talk about Coach Hayden every day, I promise you that."
What happened
Shortly after 2 a.m., police said a black Acura SUV was traveling southbound on Fannin Street. That vehicle had a green light at the intersection with Pierce Street. At the same time, police said a black Chrysler 300 was going eastbound on Pierce Street at a high rate of speed and went through a red light at Fannin, hitting the Acura. Police said people in both vehicles were ejected, including the driver of the Chrysler and three people in the Acura. The Chrysler also hit and killed a man on the sidewalk, who police believe was homeless.
The Chrysler driver and three others were pronounced dead at the scene. Four people were taken to the hospital. Two of them were declared dead there. A third person at the hospital has life-threatening injuries.
At this point, we don't know the identity of the Chrysler driver or the man on the sidewalk who was killed.