NFL’s Jaylen Twyman shot four times, will make full recovery, agent says
Drew Rosenhaus, Twyman's agent, told ESPN the rookie's shooting was a case of "wrong place, wrong time"
NFL rookie defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman was shot four times on Monday in Washington, D.C., but he is expected to make a full recovery.
Drew Rosenhaus, Twyman’s agent, told ESPN the 21-year-old rookie’s shooting was a case of “wrong place, wrong time.” He was in the district visiting an aunt, riding in a vehicle when he was struck. “In talking to him today, he’s going to be okay — that’s all that matters. We’re thankful he’s okay. He will make a full recovery,” Rosenhaus said.
Twyman reportedly suffered superficial exit wounds and will not require surgery.
His family told the Minnesota Vikings they are “extremely thankful Jaylen is expected to make a full recovery.”
The Vikings tweeted an official statement Monday night confirming the shooting, indicating that they were in contact with Twyman’s family and were deferring to local authorities for additional comment.
Twyman was drafted as the 199th pick in the NFL Draft this past April. During his college career at University of Pittsburgh, he was named a second team All-American and was awarded several other key recognitions. In a 2016 Washington Post article, Twyman talked about how his family had been devastated by violence in the district.
“My family members, every other week, one of them deceased or one of them just in a shootout or one of them locked up,” Twyman told The Post. “It’s just pushed me to try to get everybody, get all my family members, out of poverty. Nobody needs to be around this.”
Raised in the Lincoln Heights housing projects, Twyman grew up with family members who had been murdered, and several who served lengthy prison sentences. Football was something on which he focused to get his kin out of their situation.
“We always talk about how we’re going to get our family out of here, no matter what,” Twyman said of himself and his uncle, Parnell Motley, who currently plays for the Denver Broncos. “If the football thing doesn’t work out, the education thing is going to get our family up out of here. We’re thinking of a master plan, and we’re trying to make sure both of us are successful so we can get our family out of the neighborhood and into a better place. Don’t too many people make it out of here.”
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