Former NFL player Chris Payton-Jones died Saturday night in a Florida car accident at the age of 30.
According to News 4 Jacksonville, Payton-Jones was driving a sedan when it collided head-on with a pickup truck in Alachua County.
Chris Payton-Jones (#9) of the St. Louis Battlehawks poses for a portrait on March 7, 2024.
He was the sole fatality in the crash, while the three passengers in the truck sustained only minor injuries. His family has confirmed his passing.
Payton-Jones spent six seasons in the NFL, signing with the Lions, Titans, Vikings, and Raiders, and appearing in 29 games. During his career, he recorded 48 tackles and seven pass breakups.
The 6-foot, 230-pound defensive back from Nebraska most recently played for the Seattle Battlehawks of the UFL in 2024, following a stint with the XFL’s Sea Dragons in 2022.
Chris Payton-Jones (#3) and Nick Whiteside (#10) of the St. Louis Battlehawks pose for a photo after a game against the Arlington Renegades at The Dome at America’s Center on May 2, 2025.
“Seeing him get the call from the Detroit Lions welcoming him to the National Football League—and watching him hug his family and take in that moment—it hits differently because he had so much more to give to the world,” said Patrick Clark, Payton-Jones’ coach at Sandalwood High School, in an interview with Action News Jacksonville.
In recent years, Payton-Jones became well known in his local community for his Flashflix media company and YouTube channel, which has garnered more than 1.3 million views. The channel focused on local sports in Jacksonville.
“He was an honest, genuine, true-to-himself kind of person,” Clark said.
