Tragedy struck the UFL family late Saturday evening, with the news that former St. Louis Battlehawk Chris Payton Jones has tragically passed away in car accident. CPJ as he was known throughout the football community was killed in Gainesville, Florida on state-road 24 when he collided head-on with a pickup truck at NE 53rd Terrace around 11:45 p.m per News Jax 4.
CPJ spent two seasons in St. Louis, after spending the 2023 season with the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL. Coming out of the University of Nebraska in 2018, CPJ spent time with five NFL teams from 2018 to 2022 appearing in 29 games in his NFL career. He announced his retirement prior to the 2026 UFL season.
In addition to his work on the field, CPJ was also an accomplished photographer often spending time on the sidelines during high school football games, while also giving inside access to UFL fans with his YouTube channel and interviews.
Our thoughts are with the families of not just Payton-Jones but all those affected by this tragedy. Payton-Jones was 30 years-old at the time of his passing.