The family of Jayden Dalke, the Saskatchewan Roughriders captain who died in a collision on Highway 11 over the weekend, say they are mourning the loss of their loved one.
Dalke, 30, and Bhishma Rajyaguru, a 22-year-old Regina man, both died Saturday on the highway between Lumsden and Regina.
Dalke was driving on the wrong side of the highway and had cannabis and alcohol in his SUV when the cars collided around 9 p.m., according to the Saskatchewan RCMP.
In a statement to Global News, the Dalke family said he was “deeply loved and will be missed beyond words.”
“We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support from family, friends, and all who knew Jayden,” the Dalke family said.
“Jayden gave generously to his community and the organizations he cared about.”
The 30-year-old from Leduc, near Edmonton, first joined the University of Alberta Golden Bears in 2019 and was named All-Canadian for the 2019 season.
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The Roughriders selected him in the sixth round of the Canadian Football League (CFL) 2022 draft. He signed in May 2022.
Dalke played 17 regular-season games for the Riders last year and suited up for the Grey Cup.
Instead of leaving flowers or gifts for the linebacker, the family requested donations be made to the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation in his memory.
“We also mourn the heartbreaking loss of Bhishma Rajyaguru and extend our deepest condolences to his family,” the Dalke family said.
Rayjaguru came to Canada in 2022 as an international student. He is originally from the Indian state of Gujurat.
His loved ones organized a GoFundMe to bring his body back home to India. It reached its fundraising goal on Tuesday.
The Dalke family thanked Rider Nation for their love and support and requested privacy as it grieves “this unimaginable loss.”
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