“We’re mourning and we’re grieving, but we’ve come to celebrate their life,” minister Joshua K. Jenkins said to those gathered.

The funeral honored Jackson, 24, and Hazel, 23, who both died along with Anthony “AJ” Lytton Jr., 24, on July 6. A speeding driver crashed into their vehicle around 3:15 a.m. in Upper Marlboro, and Maryland State Police said investigators think that alcohol may have been a contributing circumstance.

Police identified the driver of the other car as Cori Clingman, 23, of Upper Marlboro. Clingman, according to a Prince George’s County schools spokeswoman, also attended Wise and graduated in 2018.

As of Friday, no charges have been filed and the investigation remains ongoing, according to the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office. The Clingman family previously declined to comment.

Since the crash, friends, coaches and the community have recalled their tightknit friendship, impressive character and promising careers as football players. Jackson had just been drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in April and Lytton was set to finish his collegiate eligibility at Bowie State University after stints at Florida State University and Pennsylvania State University. Hazel was looking toward the 2025 NFL combine after a successful college career at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the University of Maryland.

Lytton’s funeral was held this week at City of Praise Family Ministries, where community leaders and loved ones remembered him as a quiet, energetic young man, who had a passion for athletics and was a high achiever. They pointed to his leading role as part of the Wise High School football team that won three state championships.

On Friday in services that were live-streamed, Hazel and Jackson’s caskets were flanked by two cardboard cutouts of themselves — Hazel in his University of Maryland uniform and Jackson in his Minnesota Vikings uniform. Their cleats were elevated on platforms and their golden Wise jerseys encased in glass. A goal post stood in between them.

From written letters signed by public officials to touching tributes delivered by loved ones and the Minnesota Vikings staff, there was a recurring reflection: the players lived short but meaningful lives that left a lasting impact.

“He made an impact. He made our team better. He made our league better,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said, describing Jackson.

O’Connell took to the dais to share a memory about Jackson’s grit and commitment to the team.

When Vikings staff talked with Jackson about his shoulder injury a few months ago, he was faced with two options: undergo surgery to fix his shoulder and miss some of the season, or rehab during the summer. The latter option would give Jackson less time with his friends and family, and he would likely be wearing multiple braces during the season while fighting through pain, O’Connell said.

“He looked at me and said, ‘Nope, I can play. I have to be out there with my brothers,’” O’Connell said. “I was so proud of him, and it confirmed that he was the perfect fit for our team.”

The Vikings will honor Jackson all season with his initials painted on the practice field. Players will have helmet decals and coaches will wear pins. His locker will also be set up as if it were game day, O’Connell said.

Nathalie Rosales, Hazel’s teacher, remembered how he overcame barriers in high school as a teenager with dyslexia.

“He set goals to become a better reader, a better public speaker, understanding that he had to put in that work to be a role model for the younger kids,” Rosales said. “Not many people know that he not only worked hard on the football field, but on his academic skills as well.”

Combining his love of football and learning, Hazel went on to start a nonprofit organization to aid student-athletes that had academic difficulties, Rosales said.

During the eulogy, Jenkins talked of the message that both Hazel’s and Jackson’s parents wanted funeralgoers to leave with: “Trust God.”

“Make good with your time,” Jenkins added. “Don’t be reckless.”

Jordan D. Brown and Nicole Asbury contributed to this report.