Vikings DC Brian Flores: Khyree Jackson’s death ‘gives me a pit in my stomach’

EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores spoke publicly at training camp on Thursday for the first time since rookie Khyree Jackson was killed in a car crash earlier this month.

The Vikings took Jackson in the fourth round. Flores watched every play of Jackson last season at Oregon, and got to know him extensively during the pre-draft process. Flores, Kevin O’Connell and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones attended Jackson’s funeral last Friday.

"We’re starting training camp and everybody is excited about that, but I think that situation puts a lot of things in perspective and definitely makes you realize there are a lot of things that are much bigger than football," Flores said. "We were really excited about him. I think he had a bright future, so it’s still something that gives me a pit in my stomach. Still something I’m dealing with internally. He’s going to be missed, and we’re going to honor him with how we go about our business on a daily basis."

Jackson was just 24 years old. He had stepped away from football and was working at a grocery store before spending two seasons at Alabama, and last year at Oregon.

What we know

Jackson was killed, along with two of his high school teammates, on July 6 after the vehicle they were in was hit by another driver who was allegedly impaired. The Vikings were two weeks away from reporting for training camp.

How Vikings will honor Khyree Jackson

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell laid out before training camp how the Vikings will honor Jackson this season. His signing bonus will go to his estate, his locker at TCO Performance Center and his No. 31 jersey will go unused this season. Players will wear "KJ" helmet decals, coaches will wear pins.

The team put a "KJ" logo on one of the practice fields at TCO Performance Center.