The Florida Highway Patrol reports Payton-Jones was driving the wrong direction in Alachua County when he crashed into a pickup truck and his car caught fire. Jones died at the scene.
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The driver of the van, a 21-year-old man from Middleburg, and two passengers suffered minor injuries. The accident remains under investigation.
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Uncle Edward and Aunt Kelli Payton can describe Chris Payton-Jones in one word. “One, a dream catcher,” Kelli said.
Payton-Jones, a student at Sandalwood High School, achieved his dreams. He played college football at Nebraska.
The Lions signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2018. They waived him and the Cardinals picked him up. He made his NFL debut in 2018 when he made the Cardinals’ active roster for the first time.
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He played a few seasons in the XFL/UFL trying to return to the NFL, before retiring from football at the beginning of the year. he was doing full time content creationwhile doing individual and team coaching.
He spoke to Action Sports Jax about this in 2024. “I can’t thank God enough for the opportunity to play at that stage, unlike a lot of people. But like a lot of people, I was drafted when my dreams came true to play in front of thousands of people,” Chris Payton-Jones told Action Sports Jax in November 2024.
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Those dreams ended abruptly on Saturday night, when Jones died in a car accident. His aunt and uncle said he was coming from a photo shoot, as he also does photography, and said he apparently took a wrong turn.
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“Yes, he was gone too soon and he was not forgotten. He will never be forgotten. I don’t think he will be forgotten in the college world, which is Nebraska, the NFL and the entire league. He’s a complete guy,” Edward said.
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We asked Edward what last thing he could say to Chris. He said: “Well done, my friend. I love you as a nephew and a patriarch who did what most of us would dream of doing.”
To make the situation even more tragic, Jones just had a baby who was born just three weeks ago.
The principal of Sandalwood High School says they are talking to the family to see if they would like a memorial at the school.
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