Former NFL Defensive Back Chris Payton-Jones Dead at 30 After Florida Crash
Chris Payton-Jones, a former NFL defensive back and Jacksonville native who spent years grinding through professional football's pipeline, was killed Saturday night in a car crash in Alachua County, Florida. He was 30 years old.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol via Fox News, Payton-Jones was driving a sedan when it struck a pickup truck. His vehicle overturned and caught fire. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Three people in the pickup truck sustained minor injuries. No other details about the cause of the crash have been released.
Payton-Jones spent four seasons at the University of Nebraska before going undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft. He made the league anyway, landing on the Detroit Lions' practice squad and eventually signing with the Arizona Cardinals in 2021. He went on to play for the Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, and Las Vegas Raiders, appearing in 29 NFL games and recording 48 tackles and seven pass breakups before the league door closed.
Rather than step away, he kept playing. He joined the XFL's Seattle Sea Dragons, then signed with the UFL's St. Louis BattleHawks, where he played 18 regular-season games and logged 56 tackles and two interceptions. He retired from football in January 2026.
The BattleHawks released a statement mourning his death. "Chris was a beloved teammate and leader in the locker room who demonstrated the importance of hard work, determination, and resilience throughout his career," the UFL wrote. "A beloved teammate. An even greater man."
Back Home in Jacksonville
After football, Payton-Jones had returned to Jacksonville to build the next chapter. He was developing a media company called Flashflix, working as a photographer, videographer, and editor, and mentoring young people in his community.
His former high school coach at Sandalwood, Patrick Clark, now the associate head coach at Central State University, remembered him simply. "Chris was the hardest working human being I've ever been around, a great player but even better person. He was never the biggest or fastest, but he did things the right way, and the game paid him back for it," Clark told Action News Jacksonville.
He was the only player from his Sandalwood graduating class to reach the NFL.
