Shocking and heartbreaking news coming out of Dallas from the Memorial Day weekend as an East Texas native who was a former standout at TCU and became a first round pick has died in a car crash.

Jeff Gladney was killed in a car accident early Monday morning, his agent confirmed. Gladney was 25.

The fatal two-vehicle crash happened around 2:30 a.m. in the westbound service lanes of Woodall Rogers Freeway at Allen Street, said Raul Reyna, a spokesperson for the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office according to The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Deputies were dispatched to the accident, which involved a white vehicle overturned in a grassy area.

At the scene, Dallas Fire-Rescue confirmed two people were dead, a man and a woman.

Early investigations indicate that the white vehicle was speeding and clipped the second vehicle from behind, Reyna said. The driver of the white vehicle lost control and hit the pier beam of the Woodall Rogers Freeway. The second vehicle was occupied by two people and they were not injured, the sheriff’s office said.

Gladney was entering the third season of his NFL career.

The New Boston, Texas native played college football at Texas Christian University. The Minnesota Vikings drafted him as a first-round pick in 2020, but the team released him ahead of the 2021 season after he was indicted on charges of felony assault, according to the NFL's website. Gladney was found not guilty in the incident, and the Cardinals signed him to a two-year contract in March 2022. He had recently been training with the team during the NFL's organized team practices.

Gladney returned to Texas this week to help close on a house for his mother.

What makes this story even more heartbreaking is that Gladney was pictured this week in a Facebook post by a realty company in Texarkana after he just purchased a home for his mother this week. Gladney sadly leaves behind a 1-year old son. Teammates from TCU and the NFL shared their condolences across social media and we share our condolences as well on this tragic loss.