ESPN's Adam Schefter apologizes for 'insensitive' Dwayne Haskins tweet
Haskins died on Saturday after being struck by a dump truck on a Florida highway
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dwayne Haskins’ tragic death over the weekend sparked a flurry of negative tweets aimed at ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter for the way he reported the news of the tragedy.
Schefter wrote Saturday, "Dwayne Haskins, a standout at Ohio State before struggling to catch on with Washington and Pittsburgh in the NFL, died this morning when he got hit by a car in South Florida, per his agent Cedric Saunders. Haskins would have turned 25 years old on May 3."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dwayne Haskins Jr. of the Washington Football Team warms up for the Carolina Panthers game at FedExField on Dec. 27, 2020, in Landover, Maryland. (Will Newton/Getty Images)
Several NFL players called Schefter’s tweet insensitive. It was later deleted and the wording edited on another tweet.
On Monday, Schefter released an apology for the way he worded his tweet. He directed NFL fans to his podcast to listen to what he had to say.
He called his remark "insensitive" and insisted "it was a mistake."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MICHAEL IRVIN ON DWAYNE HASKINS' DEATH: 'HATE THAT HIS TIME GOT CUT SHORT'
Adam Schefter from ESPN looks on during the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium on Jan. 26, 2020, in Orlando, Florida. (Mark Brown/Getty Images)
"I wish I could have that tweet back, the focus should have been on Dwayne. Who he was as a person, a husband, a friend, and so much more. I wanted to apologize to Dwayne’s family, his friends, the players in the National Football League and offer my condolences to everybody close to Dwayne and in the way I failed Saturday," he said.
Schefter then memorialized Haskins’ charitable efforts in the Pittsburgh community, citing his work on Thanksgiving and Christmas and his interactions with Steelers fans.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Haskins was killed early Saturday morning when he was struck by a dump truck while walking across a South Florida highway, officials said. Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Lt. Indiana Miranda said Haskins was pronounced dead at the scene.
"He was attempting to cross the westbound lanes of Interstate 595 when there was oncoming traffic," Miranda said in a statement.
Miranda said the incident is "an open traffic homicide investigation."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dwayne Haskins of the Pittsburgh Steelers watches from the sidelines during the Browns game at FirstEnergy Stadium on Oct. 31, 2021, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
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It wasn’t immediately known why Haskins was traveling on the highway at the time. He appeared to be in South Florida over the course of the week practicing with Steelers teammates Mitchell Trubisky, running back Najee Harris and tight end Pat Freiermuth.