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Georgia Southern honors NFL player killed by drunken driver

Brett Carlsen / Getty Images Sport / Getty

STATESBORO, Ga. (AP) Georgia Southern University has honored Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson, an alumnus killed by a drunken driver in February.

News outlets report Jackson's parents, Wesley and Mary Jackson, were presented with his honorary bachelor of science degree during Saturday's commencement ceremony. Wesley Jackson yelled ''Georgia'' as they left the stage, and was met by a ''Southern'' from the crowd.

The 26-year-old and his Uber driver, 54-year-old Jeffrey Monroe, were killed in Indiana when authorities say they were struck by 37-year-old Manuel Orrego-Savala. Authorities say Orrego-Savala was living in the U.S. illegally and didn't have a license.

Jackson was an Atlanta native who walked on to Georgia Southern's football team. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted rookie in 2015, and joined the Colts later that year.

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This story corrects the team's name to Indianapolis Colts, not Indiana Colts

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