Rex Culpepper, a former Syracuse quarterback and the son of Ex-NFL Player and Survivor fan favorites Brad and Monica Culpepper, has died at just 28 years old.
According to reports, Culpepper passed away from injuries suffered in a dirt bike accident in Florida. The Syracuse football program confirmed the devastating news, sharing an emotional tribute on social media.
“Rex lived his life with endless passion, having overcome cancer at the age of 20 while playing for the Orange,” the team said. “Appearing in 30 games, Rex played football as fiercely as he lived life.”
The statement continued, “Our hearts are with the Culpepper family and all those who loved him.”
Culpepper played for Syracuse from 2017 to 2020, appearing in 30 games during his college career. In 2018, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer but showed incredible resilience, returning to the field later that same year. His courage earned him the team’s Jim DaRin Courage Award.
Off the field, Culpepper had recently celebrated a major life milestone. He got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Savanna Morgan, just weeks before his death.
In a heartbreaking tribute shared on March 16, Morgan reflected on their six years together.
“No one expects to meet the love of your life and lose them in only six short years,” she wrote. “Rex didn’t always believe in soulmates, but toward the end he told me he didn’t realize what having a soulmate felt like until we felt like extensions of each other.”
She added that the couple lived life to the fullest every day, constantly learning, traveling, and rarely spending time apart. “I don’t regret a single day in our six years,” she wrote.
Culpepper came from a well-known family. His father, Brad Culpepper, played in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Chicago Bears before gaining national attention on Survivor. His mother, Monica Culpepper, also appeared on the hit reality show.