UH alumni and fans react to 3 former UH players killed in downtown Houston crash

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Hearts were heavy at TDECU stadium where the Cougars took the field for their homecoming game against the Cincinnati Bearcats Saturday night.

On the minds of many alumni and students' tonight are the three former university of Houston football players who died tragically in a car wreck this morning.

For many, homecoming is more than a football game. It is a week of celebrating the University of Houston, uniting students and organizations, and showcasing Cougar pride.

Yet, looming over all of it is a dark cloud.

"My wife and I almost didn't come out today because we felt like we almost got punched in the gut this morning," Pete Brayton, a UH alumnus, said.

Brayton made it to the homecoming tailgate, but not in good spirits.

He's one of many shocked by the news of a horrific car wreck that killed three former University of Houston football players, DJ Hayden, Zach McMillian, and Ralph Oragwu.

"Pretty devastating. All three of those guys were amazing Cougars, good people, good family people," Brayton said.

Brayton said he knew Hayden well.

The former Raiders player made national headlines back in 2012 after surviving a near-fatal heart injury during a UH football practice.

"No one ever thought that he would play football again . He played 10 years in the NFL, so it is just really sad because he overcame that. He was so young, early thirties. Its just unbelievable," Brayton said.

In fact, there was a sense of confusion among fans and alumni who looked forward to this weekend.

Fans like Dan Lisbony never imagined it would be overshadowed by a triple tragedy.

"Those players, being Coogs, go Coogs. They would want us to be here and celebrate. Anything that happens like that you always think about their families, the people that they are close to, and you want to be very thoughtful of them," Lisbony said.

Jill Sock had a son playing in Saturday's game. She says things got heavy in the locker room, but the boy's spirits were strong.

"You don't manage it, you push it aside you pray for them, and you know just that as a community that the families of those men will have a whole stadium of people behind them," Jill Sock, a parent, said.

The UH family is hurting, but at the very least, they were able to hurt together Saturday night.