LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — Palm Beach County is more than 1,000 miles away from Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, but fan loyalty runs deep, and now many Steelers fans are trying to make sense of the tragic loss of Dwayne Haskins.
Dave's Last Resort in Lake Worth Beach is a rowdy atmosphere on any given Sunday when the Steelers play, but this weekend, the tone was much different.
"Everybody's asking a lot of questions. Everybody's looking for answers," Dave Palombo, the owner of Dave's Last Resort, told WPTV.
Palombo is a Pittsburgh native and die-hard fan. He is now trying to process the death of Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who was killed Saturday morning after being struck by a dump truck while trying to cross westbound Interstate 595 in Broward County.
"I mean, a young kid like that (who was) resurrecting his career and something tragic happens like this, it's total disbelief," Palombo said.
On Twitter, the Steelers posted a picture of the 24-year-old and said, "We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Dwayne Haskins. May he rest in peace."
We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Dwayne Haskins.
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 9, 2022
May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/PsDEx9RI5J
The Pittsburgh Penguins also posted a photo on Twitter, after the team held a moment of silence in honor of Haskins before Saturday's hockey game.
Before today's game, a moment of silence was held in honor of Dwayne Haskins.
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 9, 2022
Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the Haskins family, Dwayne's teammates, and all of Steelers Nation 💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/NHXwbf7yKR
"I was heartbroken, very sad," Daven Wentley, a Steelers fan, said. "I'm a Pittsburgh native."
Wentley said he was happy to see Haskins working out in Boca Raton this week with his teammates, but his death is like a punch to the gut.
"The team and the franchise will live on, but they're heartbroken, the Rooney family is heartbroken, (head coach Mike) Tomlin is heartbroken and, frankly, I'm heartbroken," Wentley said.
Now, Steelers fans are waiting to learn more about what exactly happened.
"The talent was there, and I think he could have done good things," Palombo said.