Michael Rothstein
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ESPN Staff Writer Michael Rothstein, based in Atlanta, is a reporter on ESPN’s investigative and enterprise team. You can follow him via Twitter @MikeRothstein.
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Apr 16, 2026, 04:35 PM ET
A Texas court on Wednesday issued a default judgment of more than $2.8 million against Theodore Knox, the co-defendant in one of the lawsuits against Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice stemming from a 2024 street racing crash in Dallas.
Judge Kim Bailey Phipps ruled that Knox, one of Rice’s teammates at Southern Methodist University, was “grossly negligent” after he and Rice lost control of their cars and crashed on a central Dallas highway on March 30, 2024.
The judgment was handled by submission, meaning the decision was rendered based on written documents and already-filed evidence. Knox was not present for the hearing, and no attorney was listed for him in court records. Messages left with Knox on the day of the initial default judgment filing went unreturned to ESPN.
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Rice’s case is scheduled to go to trial June 9. Rice also is named in a Feb. 16 lawsuit filed by Dacoda Jones, who alleges Rice repeatedly assaulted her during an 18-month span from 2023 to 2025, including choking her in December 2023.
Jones’ attorneys stated they have been unable to serve Rice with the lawsuit despite four visits to his Dallas-area residence, according to a court filing.
The NFL closed its investigation into Rice on April 3 and determined “there was insufficient evidence to support a finding that he violated the personal conduct policy.”
Rice is changing attorneys in the street-racing case. Royce West and Craig Capua have withdrawn as Rice’s counsel, according to court filings, and Thomas M. McMurray filed a motion to become Rice’s attorney.
In Wednesday’s ruling against Knox, the court awarded Kathryn Kuykendall, one of the victims in the case, nearly $2.88 million, including punitive damages plus costs for medical expenses, lost earnings and non-economic damages.
“We’ve asked the court to grant the default judgment because we’re ethically required to as a matter of diligence,” Marc Lenahan, Kuykendall’s attorney, told ESPN in a statement when the motion was initially filed. “Personally, it pleases us that Teddy [Knox] hasn’t made further mistakes that we’re aware of. If a team gives him a chance to prove that he’s walking the right path now, we’ll be rooting for him.”
SMU suspended Knox after the crash.
In January, the court issued default judgments against Knox for two other victims in the same case, awarding $1.99 million to Irina Gromova and $1.63 million to Edvard Petrovskiy in combined actual and punitive damages.
Rice was the driver of a rented Lamborghini Urus SUV that was going 119 mph on Dallas’ North Central Expressway in 2024, leading to the multi-car crash that left multiple people injured. Knox was the driver of a rented black Corvette. Rice, Knox and their three friends didn’t check on those injured, instead fleeing on foot before police arrived. The incident was captured on video.
Less than two weeks later, Rice, 25, took full responsibility and apologized in a statement he released before he turned himself in at the Glenn Heights Police Department after an arrest warrant was issued. In July, Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years’ probation for his role in the crash. He pleaded guilty in district court to two third-degree felony charges — collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury. He received deferred adjudication. The case will be dismissed if he completes the probation.
In August 2025, Knox pleaded guilty to collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury and was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years of probation.
The NFL suspended Rice for six games last season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
Rice also has two other civil cases pending in Dallas County: a second civil case from the same accident that is slated to go to trial next year, and the lawsuit by Jones.
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