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Former Nebraska DB, ex-NFL player Chris Payton-Jones dies in Jacksonville car wreck

Byington mugby: Alex Byington04/12/26_AlexByington

Former Nebraska, NFL and UFL defensive back Chris Payton-Jones died Saturday night in an auto accident in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla., according to News4-JAX. Payton-Jones was 30.

Payton-Jones, who just went by Chris Jones during his time at Nebraska (2014-17), played for six NFL teams between 2018-22 after going undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft. He’s also played two seasons in the UFL with the Seattle Sea Dragons and St. Louis Battlehawks before retiring from football in 2025 and returning home to Jacksonville.

Payton-Jones was a budding content creator and mentor in his hometown and building a following on social media with his brand, Flashflix, which had grown into a local “media powerhouse,” per News4. Payton-Jones’ YouTube channel had 1.3 million views over the last year and a half as he built a reputation by supporting local football throughout the city, according to News4.

Tributes for Payton-Jones flowed on social media Sunday, including from his former high school football coach, Adam Geis of Sandalwood High: “He was one of my all-time favorites! The kid never missed a workout, never missed practice, and never wanted to come off the field. Everyone loved him,” Geis told News4. “He was always unbelievably positive. I’ve never heard that kid ever say anything negative about anyone or anything. … It was always a pleasure to be around him. You were always happy to see him.”

Payton-Jones signed with Nebraska as a three-star prospect in the 2014 recruiting cycle out of Sandalwood (Jacksonville, Fla.) High, where he was rated as the No. 112 corner in the class and No. 1,207 overall, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He finished his Cornhuskers career with 76 total tackles, including 65 solo, 16 pass breakups, 21 passes defended, five interceptions and two sacks in 44 career games, including 25 starts, between 2014-17.

After going undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft, Payton-Jones spent time with the Arizona Cardinals (2018-20), Detroit Lions (2020), Minnesota Vikings (2020), Tennessee Titans (2021) and Las Vegas Raiders (2022) between 2018-22. He then played two more years in the UFL with the Sea Dragons (2023) and Battlehawks (2024) before hanging up his spikes and returning home to Jacksonville.