Former NFL player JaJuan Dawson was confirmed dead Tuesday from a drowning accident, Dr. Lynn Salzberger, MD of the Collin County (Texas) Medical Examiner's office told NFL Media.
Dawson's body was recovered from Lavon Lake in Collin County, Texas at 11:35 p.m. Monday by the Collin County Sheriff's Office Mariner Unit and Texas Parks and Wildlife, Lieutenant Chris Havey of the Collin County Sheriff's Office told NFL Media. The searchers used side-scan radar to locate the body about 300 yards from where Dawson fell in and divers extracted it from the water.
Dawson went missing after falling off of a boat on Sunday. He was with his three children and two other family members when he fell into the lake. Dawson was not wearing a life vest at the time of the incident. Havey said that alcohol is not a contributing factor to his disappearance.
Dawson was drafted out of Tulane by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played three seasons in the NFL, amassing 52 receptions, 664 yards and two TDs for the Browns and Houston Texans.
The sheriff's office received a 911 call at 6:28 p.m. Sunday from one of Dawson's family members. Rescuers began searching for Dawson at 6:30 p.m. before calling off the search at 11:30 p.m., according to Havey. The search resumed at 7:20 a.m. Monday. Aiding in the search were the Collin County Sheriff's Office, Wylie Fire Department, Texas Parks and Wildlife and Branch Fire Department.
