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What happened to Edwin Jackson: Everything you need to know about the Colts linebacker

Chris Sims
IndyStar
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson (53) during the national anthem prior to the Colts facing off in their final preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati on Thursday, September 1, 2016

The sports world in Indianapolis came to a halt on what should have been the happiest day of the year for the NFL.

The news of Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson's death marred the festivities leading up to Super Bowl LII.

Here's everything you need to know.

What happened to Edwin Jackson?

Police believe Jackson, 26, became ill and his Uber driver, Jeffrey Monroe, 54, Avon, was helping on the side of the road of Interstate 70 when a black Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by Alex Cabrera Gonsales, 37, Indianapolis, struck them both.

Police said one the victims was thrown into the center lane and was struck by an officer responding to the crash.

Gonasales attempted to flee but was quickly apprehended on the ramp to Holt Road, according to police. 

"It is believed Gonsales was intoxicated and was driving without a license," Indiana State Police Sgt. John Perrine said in a statement. "He was transported to the Marion County Jail, the result of the test for intoxication is pending."

Police learned Gonsales was an alias for a Manuel Orrego-Savala, a citizen of Guatemala who was in the United States illegally. Police say Orrego-Savala had been previously deported twice, in 2007 and 2009. 

According to documents, Orrego-Savala had a blood-alcohol content of three times the legal limit

President Donald Trump tweets

President Donald Trump responded Tuesday morning to the news of Jackson's death on Twitter with a pair tweets. The first tied the "preventable" tragedy to the border issue and illegal immigration. The second offered condolences to Jackson's family. 

Other politicians respond

Vice President Mike Pence called Jackson's death a "senseless and avoidable tragedy" and called it "a great loss for the entire Indiana community."

Todd Rokita, the U.S. Representative for Indiana's 4th Congressional District, said the news "should make all Americans angry."  Luke Messer, the U.S. Representative for Indiana's 6th Congressional District, called Jackson's death "a tragic loss for the family and friends."  

How did the Colts acquire Edwin Jackson?

Jackson began his NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals in 2015, according to pro-football-reference.com. After being cut by Arizona on Sept. 1, 2015, the Colts added Jackson to the practice squad on Dec. 8, 2015. Jackson signed a reserve/future contract with the Colts on Jan. 5, 2016.

What were Edwin Jackson's stats?

Jackson did not play any games in 2015. He played one season with the Colts, starting 8 of 16 games in 2016. He finished the season with 47 tackles, 19 assists and 2 sacks as the Colts' third-leading tackler on the season. 

Jackson missed all of the 2017 season after a preseason injury landed him on injured reserve.

Where did Edwin Jackson play college football?

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Jackson was not recruited out of high school and joined the Georgia Southern Eagles as walk-on.

He played 48 games and started 23 for for Georgia Southern, according to Colts.com. Jackson finished his college career with 121 tackles and 97 assists and was the team's leading tackler each of his last two seasons.

In 2013, Jackson was part of one of the program’s biggest wins — a 26-20 win against Florida.

What else do we know about Edwin Jackson?

Jackson was an Atlanta native, graduating from Westlake High School and was a three-year team captain in football, according to Colts.com. He was also a Georgia state champion in wrestling at 189 pounds. The 6-foot, 234-pound linebacker graduated Georgia Southern with a degree in international trade.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Jackson had 10 siblings and was the middle child at No. 6. 

Jackson earned the name "Pound Cake" when he gave the Arizona Cardinals defensive staff his mother's famous Georgia Southern pound cakes at her suggestion. At practice, everyone was calling him "Pound Cake" and the nickname stuck even once he joined the Colts.

How did immigration activists respond to Jackson's death?

The man suspected of killing Jackson and an Uber driver is a Guatemalan citizen, is in the U.S. illegally and has been deported two times before. He also gave police the alias Alex Cabrera Gonsales after the early Sunday crash that killed Jackson and the Uber driver, but his real name is Manuel Orrego-Savala. 

When the news about Orrego-Savala's immigration status spread, supporters of stricter border security called for harsher immigration laws and renewed their call to build a wall on the southern border. Supporters of reforms that would allow undocumented immigrants — and especially children — a path toward citizenship cautioned lawmakers not to conflate criminals with law-abiding children. 

What do we know about the suspected drunk driver?

Manuel Orrego-Savala, 37, is a Guatemalan citizen who has twice been deported from the U.S. He was first deported in 2007 and then again in 2009, according to a spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

ICE spokesperson Nicole Alberico told IndyStar that Orrego-Savala is believed to have entered the country on or around July 1, 2004. He was convicted of driving under the influence in Redwood City, Calif., in 2005, Alberico said, but it was unclear what happened immediately following his conviction. 

He was arrested by ICE in San Francisco in October of 2006 for being in the country illegally. He was removed to Guatemala for the first time on Jan. 17, 2007. He was arrested in San Francisco on March 26, 2009, and was removed to Guatemala for the second time on May 12, 2009.

It is unknown when he returned to the U.S. and at what point he arrived in Indiana.

Chris Sims is a digital producer at IndyStar. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisFSims.