Kylee Jackson's parting words sounded like a promise as she left a Fourth of July barbecue party hosted by Deonte Banks' family.
“I'll see you in Week 1,” Jackson told Banks, looking forward to the Giants-Vikings season opener where the two young cornerbacks can put themselves in good work for the opposing team.
About 30 hours later, Jackson, a 24-year-old Vikings rookie, was killed in a car crash on a Maryland highway.
Police said Banks' former roommate from the University of Maryland, Isaiah Hazel, was driving with passengers Jackson and Anthony Litton Jr. when a car was speeding and changing lanes, striking the vehicle, which went off the road and struck several tree stumps.
The three were killed in the early hours of July 6th.
“I found out when someone called me,” a somber Banks told The Post in the Giants' locker room after practice. “When I first heard about it, I jumped up and down. I was like, 'No way.' When you're not with them, it doesn't feel the same. They're really gone, and it was a shock.”
The Giants-Vikings game on Sept. 8 at MetLife Stadium was supposed to be Jackson's NFL debut and Banks' toughest test since being tasked with covering All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson since he was given the No. 1 cornerback role midway through his 2023 rookie season.
It's unclear if they met before or during the game, but there was sure to be a hug afterwards, no matter what the final score was.
“When it's game time, you're focused and you're not thinking about anything else but the task at hand,” Coach Banks said, “but once the game is over, you forget about it. That's when I'll know for sure.”
Banks, 23, first met Jackson and Litton through Hazel and quickly became part of their group, all of whom grew up just 90 minutes apart on opposite ends of Baltimore.
“Zay could light up a room. That kid was so funny,” Banks said. “And Kyrie was always the cool guy. 'See you in Week 1' were the last things he said to me. He would have had a great career in the NFL.”
The Giants selected Banks with the 24th overall pick in the 2023 draft, just as Jackson (Oregon), Hazel (Charlotte) and Litton Jr. (Bowie State) were settling into their final college seasons. Football was their bond, and they traveled together to watch the “Tank” Davis vs. Frank Martin boxing match at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in June.
A few weeks later, football was the topic of holiday conversation as Banks' father cooked a grill, fireworks burst into the sky and everyone enjoyed a “great night.”
“Appreciate the time you spend with people,” Banks said. “I've really been a big fan of, 'Don't hold grudges.' Life is really too short.”
Vikings players will wear helmet stickers with KJ's initials throughout the upcoming season, and coaches and staff will have the opportunity to wear pins with the same design.
During training camp, a portion of the turf on the practice field was painted purple and yellow to encircle Jackson's jersey number, 31. His jersey number and locker at the team facility will remain unused in 2024.
Something Jackson said during his pre-draft visit with the Vikings will likely stick with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
“He said, 'Kwesi, there is no hope in this life. All you get out of life is what you put into it,'” Adofo-Mensah recalled last month.
Banks hasn't yet decided whether he'll do anything special to honor Jackson on game day, but he plans to wear a shirt featuring the three players' faces that was given to him after the tragic accident.
A vigil for three former high school teammates on July 13 turned ugly when gunfire erupted at the scene, leaving one man dead and one woman injured.
Had Banks not already returned to New Jersey to prepare for training camp, he might have been in the crowd.
“They were my buddies,” says Banks, who grew all too used to losing friends at a young age. “Where I grew up, [death] “It's just kind of what happens. Baltimore is not the kind of city where kids want to spend their whole lives.”
Banks overcame that, achieved his dream, and now has an NFL career ahead of him.
He'll never forget the good times he had with Jackson, Hazel and Litton, and he'll never forget the upcoming game that the four friends are probably exchanging text messages about right now.
“I feel like something's wrong,” Banks said. “I feel like I'm going crazy.”
