Hugh Douglas, the son of his legendary former Philadelphia Eagles defensive end namesake, has died.
The younger Douglas and his Morehouse College roommate Christion Files Jr., both 20, were killed in a car crash that took place in suburban Atlanta Monday (September 4) evening, the school announced in a post shared on its Facebook account. Douglas and Files were reportedly traveling fast while passing another vehicle before their car left the roadway, struck two utility poles and overturned, with both pronounced dead at the scene, according to a preliminary report from the Georgia State Patrol obtained by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"Morehouse mourns the loss of Hugh Douglas '25 and Christion Files Jr. '25, who were involved in a devastating car accident that resulted in their untimely passing on Monday afternoon," the school wrote. "Hugh and Christion were not just friends but also roommates during their sophomore year, and their loss is deeply felt by all of us in the Morehouse family."
Douglas was a sophomore business major with a concentration in finance and a member of the Morehouse Business Association, an AltFinance Fellow and a Goldman Sachs Fellow and described by the school as being "an exceptional student who displayed immense dedication and promise." Files was also sophomore business major who was co-captain of the track and field team and media chair for the Junior Class Council, while also being credited for his photography and videography skills.
The elder Hugh Douglas shared several photos of his son on his social media accounts Monday and Tuesday (September 5), which included post with the caption, "You were already a better man than me."
The 52-year-old was drafted by the New York Jets at No. 16 overall in the 1995 NFL Draft and won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, but saw his greatest success during his five seasons with the Eagles from 1998 to 2002, which included being selected as a first-team All-Pro in 2000, second-team All-Pro in 2002 and three-time Pro Bowler in 2000-02. Douglas spent the 2003 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars before returning to Philadelphia for his final season in 2004.
The former Central State standout was inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame alongside fellow former pass rusher Trent Cole in 2022.
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