NFL Player Killed: Colts Announce Edwin Jackson Scholarship

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — The Indianapolis Colts are doing their part to make sure Edwin Jackson, the linebacker and Atlanta native killed last week in a drunk-driving crash, will not be forgotten. Colts owner Jim Irsay on Monday announced the creation of the Edwin Jackson Memorial Scholarship.

The $25,000 scholarship will be its own fund within the Indianapolis Colts Foundation and will be awarded each year to a qualified student. The foundation will work with Jackson's family to come up with the details of how the scholarship will work.

"Edwin was such a wonderful young man and was beloved by his family and friends across the country, especially by his Colts family here in Indianapolis," Irsay said in a statement from the team. "We are all better people for having known him, and we already miss him so much.

"This scholarship will honor Edwin’s memory and his determination, work ethic and character. My family and the entire Colts organization are proud to have been associated with Edwin, and we are honored to help continue his legacy in the future."

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. on Sunday, Feb. 4. Jackson, 26, and 54-year-old Uber driver Jeffrey Monroe were killed in the crash.

Related Stories:

• NFL Player From Atlanta Killed In Drunk-Driving Crash
• Driver Who Killed Atlanta NFL Player In US Illegally: Police
• Trump Weighs In On Death Of NFL Player From Atlanta
• Colts Owner To Pay For Atlanta Player's Funeral

Manuel Orrego-Savala, 37, a native of Guatemala, is charged in the case. Authorities say Orrego-Savala, who initially gave police a fake name, was in the United States illegally and had been deported twice — once in 2007 and again in 2009.

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.

Funeral services for Jackson were held Monday in Atlanta. Irsay offered to pay funeral expenses for both Jackson and Monroe.

Jackson, one of 11 children, played football and wrestled at Westlake High School in Atlanta before walking on at Georgia Southern, where he would go on to lead the team in tackles his junior and senior years. An undrafted free agent, he signed with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, and then the Colts, starting as a practice squad player and working his way up to become at starter at inside linebacker in 2016.

In Monday's statement, Irsay also sent condolences to Monroe's family.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jeffrey’s family and friends during these difficult days," Irsay said. "Although we didn’t know Jeffrey, we’ve heard nothing but extraordinary things about him, and we are just as heartbroken for his loved ones. May both Edwin and Jeffrey rest in peace."

Tax-deductible donations to the scholarship fund can be made online at a page on the Indianapolis Colts website or by mailing to: Edwin Jackson Memorial Scholarship, c/o Indianapolis Colts Foundation, P.O. Box 535000, Indianapolis, IN 46253.

Photo via Georgia Southern University