WASHINGTON — Former NFL wide receiver and current ESPN analyst Keyshawn Johnson revealed Monday night that his eldest daughter, Maia, has died. She was 25.
"It is with incredible sadness that I have to share the news about the passing of my beautiful Daughter Maia," Johnson tweeted. "Maia, as my first born child, has been the joy of my, and her Mother Shikiri’s, life."
"She came into our lives just as we were both coming of age as adults and has been a constant beloved presence for both of us. We are heartbroken and devastated by her loss," Johnson added.
Maia was Johnson's first child with ex-wife Shikiri Hightower. The couple were married from 1998-2002 and also had a son, Keyshawn Johnson Jr., according to Yahoo Sports. Johnson also has two children with his current wife.
In Dec. 2017, Hightower posted photos on Instagram celebrating Maia's 22nd birthday and recounted how her daughter was born just four months before Johnson was selected No. 1 overall in the 1996 NFL draft by the New York Jets.
"We went from inconspicuously driving you around campus in a beat up used Honda to life in a fish bowl, all eyes on us, without us truly understanding what that meant," Hightower described. "My fearless, beautiful, intelligent, well-traveled, resourceful daughter, my mini-me, throughout our journey, we literally have been growing up, figuring life out, together."
Across 11 seasons in the NFL, Johnson played for the Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers.
He currently works for ESPN as an analyst on "NFL Live" and co-hosts a radio show.
"Our thoughts are with Keyshawn and his family as they deal with this unthinkable tragedy. He has the full support of his ESPN family," ESPN said in a statement.
RELATED: XFL, CFL in partnership discussions
