Driver Who Killed Atlanta NFL Player In U.S. Illegally: Police

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — The drunk driver who struck and killed an NFL player from Atlanta and his Uber driver early Sunday was in the country illegally and gave officers a false name, according to authorities.

Edwin Jackson, 26, was a linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts who went to school at Westlake High School in Atlanta and Georgia Southern University. Indiana State Police say a drunken driver barreled into a car that Jackson was standing next to on the emergency shoulder of Interstate 7o in Indianapolis at about 4 a.m. Sunday, killing Jackson and 54-year-old Jeffrey Monroe.

On Monday, detectives identified that driver as Manuel Orrego-Savala. A native of Guatemala, Orrego-Savala is in the United States illegally, authorities say, and had been deported twice — once in 2007 and again in 2009. He had initially identified himself to state police as Alex Cabrera Gonsales.

He was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail following the crash.

According to state police, Jackson was riding in a red Lincoln sedan driven by Monroe when he became ill. Monroe pulled over alongside Interstate 70 and got out to help him. That's when police say Orrego-Savala, driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck, smashed into the rear of the car and hit both men. One of the men was thrown into the center lane and was subsequently hit by a state trooper who was driving in the area, according to the state patrol.

NFL Player From Atlanta Killed In Drunk-Driving Crash

State and local police are working to file criminal charges in the case and with federal immigration officials, who have placed a hold on Orrego-Savala.

On Monday, tributes were still pouring forth for Jackson, the inside linebacker nicknamed "Pound Cake" for the delicious cakes his mother made, and which he shared generously with teammates, coaches and others.

"I cannot possibly explain to you how nice a human being Edwin Jackson was," wrote Stephen Holder, a Colts beat reporter for the Indianapolis Star, on Twitter. "RIP Pound Cake."

Willie Fritz, now head coach of the Tulane football team, was Jackson's coach at Georgia Southern when he played there from 2011-14.

"So sorry to hear of the death of my former player Edwin Jackson," Fritz wrote on Twitter. "One of my all time favorites. Outstanding young man. Deepest condolences to his family and friends."

Andy Kwon, now an assistant coach at the University of Akron, played center during Jackson's time at Georgia Southern, when he led the Eagles in tackles in both his junior and senior seasons.

"My heart is broken. Edwin Jackson is someone who loved and cherished the game of football," Kwon wrote. "Through all the memories from FIFA nights to wearing that Blue and White at Paulson Stadium, I am going to miss his smile and his hugs the most."

An inside linebacker, Jackson was both a walk-on at Georgia Southern and an undrafted free agent in the NFL. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals in 2015, then moved to the Colts' practice squad after being released.

He was placed on injured reserve by the Colts in September.

Patch's Rebecca Bream contributed to this report.

Photo credit: Georgia Southern University, Indiana State Police