Rex Culpepper, who once starred as a quarterback for Syracuse University, has sadly died in a dirt bike accident in Florida. He was only 28 years old.
The injuries from the crash led to his untimely death, as confirmed by the Tampa Bay Times and Syracuse football’s official social media account.
The Syracuse program shared a heartfelt message, stating, “Rex lived his life with endless passion, having overcome cancer at the age of 20 while playing for the Orange. Appearing in 30 games, Rex played football as fierce as he lived life.”
They also expressed their condolences, saying, “Our hearts are with the Culpepper family & all those who loved him.”
Culpepper played for Syracuse from 2017 to 2020, taking part in 30 games total. He battled testicular cancer in 2018 but made a remarkable recovery, returning to the field that fall and receiving the Jim DaRin Courage Award for his resilience.
In recent weeks, Culpepper had been looking forward to the future, having proposed to his girlfriend, Savanna Morgan, after six years together. They shared their engagement on Instagram.
On March 16, Morgan took to social media to announce his passing, offering a touching tribute.
“No one expects to meet the love of your life and lose them in only 6 short years after meeting,” Morgan wrote. “Rex didn’t always believe in soulmates but towards the end he told me that he didn’t realize what having a soulmate felt like until we felt like extensions of each other. And one thing about us is that we lived every single day like it was our last.”
Heartbreaking: Former Syracuse QB Rex Culpepper has passed away from injuries that he suffered in a dirt bike accident this weekend at only 28 years old.
Rex got engaged to his fiancée, Savanna, one month ago.
An absolutely devestating story 😔💔 pic.twitter.com/95P90mJ07Y
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 16, 2026
“We did every little thing that we set our minds to, between learning new skills and hobbies, and traveling to new places, there was never any free time with us and not a moment spent apart. I don’t regret a single day in our 6 years.”
Culpepper’s father, Brad Culpepper, previously played in the NFL for teams like the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while also gaining notoriety on reality television. He appeared on Survivor: Blood vs Water and later finished as a runner-up on Survivor: Game Changers. Rex’s mother, Monica, also participated in Survivor seasons.
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