Dwayne Haskins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dwayne Haskins

Haskins with the Washington Football Team in 2020
No. 7, 3
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1997-05-03)May 3, 1997 Highland Park, New Jersey, U.S.
Died:	April 9, 2022(2022-04-09) (aged 24) Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
High school:	Bullis School (Potomac, Maryland)
College:	Ohio State (2016–2018)
NFL Draft:	2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15
Career history
Washington Redskins / Football Team (2019) Pittsburgh Steelers (2021)
Career highlights and awards
Sammy Baugh Trophy (2018) Kellen Moore Award (2018) Chicago Tribune Silver Football (2018) Graham–George Offensive Player of the Year (2018) Griese–Brees Quarterback of the Year (2018) First-team All-Big Ten (2018)
Career NFL statistics
TD–INT: 12–14 Passing yards: 2,804 Completion percentage: 60.1 Passer rating: 74.4 Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Dwayne Haskins Jr. (May 3, 1997 – April 9, 2022) was an American football quarterback. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons.

Haskins played college football at Ohio State. There, he set records for passing yards and touchdowns in a single season. His great performance earned him several awards. The Washington Redskins chose him in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He later joined the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021. Haskins sadly passed away in 2022 after being hit by a vehicle.

Early Life and High School Football

Dwayne Haskins was born in Highland Park, New Jersey. When he was in ninth grade, his family moved to Potomac, Maryland. He went to Bullis School from 2013 to 2016.

While playing football there, he threw for over 5,300 yards. He also scored 54 touchdowns. He first planned to play college football at the University of Maryland. However, he later chose to attend Ohio State University. This decision came after the Maryland coach was no longer with the team.

College Football Career

Dwayne Haskins playing for Ohio State in 2018

Haskins spent his first year at Ohio State in 2016 as a redshirt. This meant he practiced but did not play in games. The next year, he was the backup quarterback. He completed 40 of 57 passes for 565 yards and four touchdowns.

In 2018, his sophomore year, Haskins became the starting quarterback. He had an amazing season, setting new records for Ohio State and the Big Ten Conference. He threw for over 4,000 yards and scored 50 touchdowns. He was one of only eight college quarterbacks ever to achieve this.

Haskins also set school records for total offense in a season. He had over 4,900 yards. He also set records for total offensive yards (477) and passing yards (470) in a single game. In all 12 of his starts, he threw for more than 225 yards. He had eight games with over 300 yards and four games with over 400 yards.

He threw for 499 yards and five touchdowns in the 2018 Big Ten Football Championship Game. He also threw three touchdowns in the 2019 Rose Bowl. He won the MVP award in both games for his great play.

His performance earned him many honors. He was named first-team All–Big Ten. He also won six Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week awards. Other awards included the Graham–George Offensive Player of the Year and the Griese–Brees Quarterback of the Year. He also received the Chicago Tribune Silver Football and Male Ohio State Athlete of the Year awards. He finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting. In January 2019, Haskins decided to enter the 2019 NFL Draft. He chose to leave college football two years early. He studied journalism while in college.

Professional Football Career

Washington Redskins / Football Team

The Washington Redskins picked Haskins in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He was the 15th player chosen overall. His high school and college jersey number was 7. This number was unofficially retired by the Redskins to honor quarterback Joe Theismann. Haskins asked Theismann for permission to wear number 7, and Theismann agreed. On May 9, 2019, Haskins signed his first NFL contract. It was a four-year deal worth $14.37 million.

2019 Season Highlights

Haskins played his first NFL game in Week 4 against the New York Giants. He came into the game after the starting quarterback was benched. Haskins threw for 107 yards and three interceptions in that game. In Week 8, he played again after the starter got a concussion. He finished that game with 33 passing yards and an interception.

The next week, Haskins made his first career start against the Buffalo Bills. He threw for 144 yards, but the team lost. Haskins got his first win as a starter in Week 12 against the Detroit Lions. He threw for 156 yards and ran for 28 yards in the 19–16 victory. For his efforts, he was named the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week. In Week 16, he left the game due to an ankle injury. This made him miss the final game of the season.

2020 Season Challenges

Before the 2020 season, Haskins worked hard and lost body fat. He was named the starting quarterback and one of the team captains. In a Week 3 loss, Haskins threw three interceptions and lost a fumble. The next week, he threw for a career-high 314 yards in another loss.

Haskins was later benched because coaches were not happy with his performance and effort. He remained a backup until Week 14. He played in the second half after the starting quarterback got hurt. He then started the next game. In that game, Haskins threw for 295 yards and one touchdown. After this game, he faced issues for not following team rules about health and safety. He was fined by the team and lost his captain status.

Despite this, he started the Week 16 game. However, he was replaced by another player in the fourth quarter. He threw for 154 yards and two interceptions in that game. The day after, Haskins left the team. The head coach said it was best for both sides to go their separate ways.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Haskins signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 21, 2021. He was the third-string quarterback that season. He did not play in most games. On March 16, 2022, Haskins signed a new one-year contract with the Steelers.

NFL Career Statistics

Personal Life

Dwayne Haskins was a Christian and was married. His mentor was NFL wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. Haskins met Sanu through one of his best friends, who was Sanu's nephew. Haskins grew up in New Jersey and was a fan of the New York Giants.

Haskins had the nickname Simba. This name came from the main character of the 1994 movie The Lion King. He got the nickname as a child because his afro hairstyle reminded his mother of a lion's mane. He used the nickname and the movie's story of growing up as motivation. He even included it in his own clothing brand, Kingdom of Pride.

Images for kids

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  Haskins after his first win as a starting NFL quarterback, 2019

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  Haskins warming-up before a game in 2020