A Dallas judge has determined that former Southern Methodist University defensive back Theodore “Teddy” Knox acted with “gross negligence” during a high-speed street racing incident last year that also involved NFL player Rashee Rice of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Judge Kim Bailey Phipps handed down a default ruling Wednesday ordering Knox to pay $2.88 million to crash victim Kathryn Kuykendall. The financial award covers punitive damages along with medical bills and income lost due to the March 30, 2024 collision in which both drivers lost control of their cars and multiple people sustained injuries.
Rice faces his own legal proceedings with a trial date set for June 9. The NFL wide receiver began the current season serving a six-game suspension imposed by the league for breaking its personal conduct rules related to his involvement in the racing incident.
The 25-year-old football player entered guilty pleas to two third-degree felony counts: causing a collision that resulted in serious injuries and highway racing that led to bodily harm. Following the crash, Rice and four companions left the scene on foot without checking on injured victims before law enforcement arrived.
Rice received a sentence of five years deferred probation plus 30 days behind bars. The court also mandated he pay over $115,000 in victim restitution.
During the incident, Rice was operating a rented Lamborghini SUV at speeds reaching 119 mph, while Knox drove a rented Corvette.
Kansas City selected Rice in the second round of the 2023 draft following his college career at SMU. Through three NFL seasons spanning 28 games with 20 starts, he has accumulated 156 receptions for 1,797 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Earlier this year in January, the same court issued additional default rulings against Knox totaling more than $3.6 million for two other crash victims. Knox spent two seasons playing for the Mustangs from 2022-23 after transferring from Mississippi State where he played one season.
