NFL fans honor Dwayne Haskins’ life with hundreds of animal rescue donations

Veterinarian Amber Burton’s phone kept ringing this weekend.

Donation notification after notification flooded in steadily.

“An extremely talented man and role model gone way too soon,” wrote one donor to Wolf Trap Animal Rescue, which Burton founded and now directs.

“Dwayne was always a ray of sunshine who’s (sic) smile could light up a room,” wrote another. “RIP. O-H!”

The messages, and financial support for the Northern Virginia animal rescue and adoption agency, continue to stream in. By late Tuesday afternoon, 299 donors had pitched in to net $6,491.54 for the nonprofit, according to data Burton shared with USA TODAY Sports. The influx was roughly 430% the typical donation intake across the period.

The donors’ intentions, through their tribute notes and symbolic donation amounts, are clear: They want to honor the life of NFL quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

Haskins died Saturday morning after he was hit by a dump truck while crossing a Florida highway by foot. He was 24 years old. The 15th overall selection of the 2019 NFL draft was in Florida working out with teammates from the Pittsburgh Steelers, who signed Haskins in January 2021 after Washington released him.

During his NFL career, Haskins played in 16 games, starting 13 for Washington, completing 60.1% of passes for 2,804 yards, 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He also rushed 40 times for 147 yards and a touchdown.

When news of the tragedy broke Saturday, NFL fans across social media wondered: How could they honor Haskins’ life in his death? What positivity could they create from this stunning reality? They turned to Google and then to social media platforms.

Before long, users on Twitter, Facebook and Reddit were encouraging donations to Wolf Trap Animal Rescue (WTAR), the beneficiary Haskins had chosen to support in 2019 through the NFL’s My Cause, My Cleats initiative. His dogs “make my day brighter,” a then-rookie Haskins said. “A lot of dogs need homes and being able to have a dog…