A day after Army improved to 2-0 on the football field, the Black Knights were in mourning following the loss of a teammate. Brandon Jackson, a sophomore starting cornerback, was killed in a car accident over the weekend. Army confirmed the news Monday morning.
The accident is currently under investigation, but early reports state Jackson’s vehicle flipped over after hitting a guard rail roughly 30 minutes away from West Point. Jackson was reportedly driving the vehicle and was pronounced dead on the scene as emergency responders arrived on the scene. There has been no word about any other passengers in the car, and investigators are awaiting the results of a toxicology report to determine if alcohol may have been involved in the early Sunday morning crash.
“Words cannot describe the grief that our team is feeling over the loss of our brother and friend, Brandon,” Army head coach Jeff Monken said in a released statement. “He was a beloved teammate and our hearts are with his family at this time of tragedy.”
Army’s biggest rival on the field, Navy, took to Twitter to share their condolences with their service academy foes.
Our thoughts and prayers are with our brothers and sisters at @GoArmyWestPoint and the Jackson family. #OneTeam pic.twitter.com/rrbZ1owoIG
— Navy Football (@NavyFB) September 12, 2016
Army is scheduled to play on the road this weekend at UTEP in El Paso. There is no plan to alter that schedule, but it is to be expected Army will play with a heavy heart and pay tribute to their teammate in some fashion. Army does not play another home game until hosting Lafayette on October 15.
