How the Vikings ensured Khyree Jackson’s legacy lives on

A group of Vikings players met at Billy Sushi in downtown Minneapolis this week.

The popular restaurant has become a gathering spot in the North Loop neighborhood and, on this special evening, hosted the annual rookie dinner for the squad’s defensive backs.

In preparation for the event, safety officer Josh Metellus obtained a jersey with the number 31, brought it with him and hung it over an empty seat at the table.

“I just want to make sure we save a spot for him,” Metellus said. “It’s his rookie dinner too.”

As food was served in waves throughout the meal – with rookie cornerback Dwight McGlothern picking up the tab – cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. glanced at the empty seat at the table.

“It made me think a little bit, ‘He should be here,'” Murphy said. “I’m just grateful that I was able to meet him and become his brother.”

Even though he wasn’t there in person this season, it would be inaccurate to say that rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson wasn’t with the Vikings.

Since the moment Jackson tragically died in a car accident in his hometown of Upper Marlboro, Maryland on July 6, the Vikings have done everything in their power to ensure his legacy lives on.

His distinctive No. 31 jersey has remained unused this season, as has his locker at the TCO Performance Center. His initials “KJ” can be seen in the form of stickers on helmets and in the form of stencils on practice fields. The equipment team decorated their locker at every home game at US Bank Stadium and every away game wherever the Vikings played.

In addition, the Vikings covered more than $20,000 in funeral expenses, paid his signing bonus to his estate and named his mother Ebbony, father Raymond and brother Kolston honorary captains for the preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders

“Our way of honoring him meant a lot to us, so we spent a lot of time thinking about it,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We wanted to make sure it was something we were really proud of, for the sake of his family and his memory that will stay with us forever.”

Ask anyone on the Vikings about Jackson and they will have a story to tell, a perfect example of the impact he made in such a short amount of time.

As a player sitting next to him in the locker room at the TCO Performance Center, star tight end TJ Hockenson admired the way Jackson carried himself. Hockenson said Jackson radiated a glow that drew everyone to him.

That feeling has stayed with Hockenson, and now when he arrives at the TCO Performance Center each morning, he takes a few seconds to look over and let Jackson know he’s thinking about him.

“I’m a spiritual person, so I know where he stands,” Hockenson said. “I know he will be taken care of. I also know that he cares about us.”

Not far from Hockenson, in the locker room at the TCO Performance Center, rookie edge rusher Dallas Turner hung Jackson’s name tag over his own, prominently displaying it for all to see.

As college teammates at Alabama, they formed a bond that was further strengthened by the fact that they were selected by the Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft.

“I still talk to him before I go to practice,” Turner said. “For me, it’s every day.”

The same goes for McGlothern, who grew close to Jackson during their time together and envisioned a future in which both would be on the field at the same time.

“That was my best friend up here,” McGlothern said. “We hung out every day when we got here. Most guys have families and stuff, so we had each other. I still miss him.”

As much as the Vikings have made sure Jackson is not forgotten, his spirit has subtly woven itself into the fabric of this team.

“Just the joy he had playing was the greatest thing I remember about him,” safety Cam Bynum said. “We tried to make it the story of this season.”

You know the celebrations that slowly become synonymous with the Vikings after every turnover? It’s not hard to imagine Jackson challenging Bynum for the title of lead choreographer.

“He always had fun when he was out here,” Murphy said. “He would have been the center of attention at all those dances.”

That’s exactly what defensive coordinator Brian Flores was hoping for when he spoke to his players during training camp. While he dealt with his own grief at the time, Flores emphasized that the best way to honor Jackson was to play the game the way he did.

That meant being quick and physical between breaks. This also meant having fun in everything they did.

“Hopefully we succeeded,” Flores said. “I think he’s watching us and appreciating that we’re having a good time.”

When the group of Vikings players received their check at Billy Sushi this week, they tricked the server into playing along with a prank by hitting McGlothern with a fake total far in excess of the actual cost.

At that moment, the empty space at the table came into focus again.

Not only would Jackson have helped McGlothern pay the bill if he had been present, he would have appreciated the prank and his laughter would have been contagious.

“I wish he were here,” McGlothern said. “He would fit right in with us and get the best out of us.”

If anything is clear, it’s that Jackson is doing exactly that, even when he’s not there to see it.

“We can sense him,” Metellus said. “He’s up there looking down on us.”