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Rex Culpepper #15 of the Syracuse Orange passes the ball during the first quarter against the Boston College Eagles at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y., on Nov. 25, 2017. Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
Former Syracuse University quarterback Rex Culpepper, 28, son of former NFL defensive lineman Brad Culpepper, died on Saturday after a dirt bike accident.
His fiancée Savanna Morgan confirmed in a social media post that Culpepper died from injuries he suffered in the accident.
“No one expects to meet the love of your life and lose them in only 6 short years after meeting,” she captioned a carousel of photos and videos of the two together.
“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 became extensions of each other.”
“You made six years feel like a lifetime Rexy,” she continued. “I don’t think this Rex shaped hole inside of me will ever be filled, but seeing how much everyone around him loved him so greatly, makes my heart full.”
Culpepper played for Syracuse from 2016 to 2020, appearing in 30 games during his collegiate career including 16 at quarterback, primarily as a backup, throwing for 1,546 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns.
Halfway through his sophomore season in 2018, he shifted to tight end, and during that time, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
According to the National Institutes of Health, testicular cancer is the most common, though highly curable, malignancy that primarily affects men aged 15 to 45 years old.
Culpepper underwent four one-week rounds of chemotherapy as treatment, before being declared “cancer-free” in June that same year.
“Our Orange family mourns the loss of Rex Culpepper,” the Syracuse football program wrote in a tribute on X. “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. Our hearts are with the Culpepper family & all those who loved him.”
Culpepper quickly returned to the field and was honored with Syracuse’s inaugural Jim DaRin Award for courage. The accolade is presented to players who display “extraordinary courage in overcoming significant obstacles, injury, illness, or personal tragedy.”
His father, Brad, played nine years in the NFL as a defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Chicago Bears before retiring after the 2000 season.
In 2013, Brad and his wife, Monica Culpepper, competed on the CBS reality show “Survivor: Blood vs. Water” and separately appeared as contestants on other versions of the television franchise.
Rex Culpepper is survived by his fiancée, parents, and siblings, Judge and Honor Culpepper.
Elma Aksalic is a freelance entertainment reporter for The Epoch Times and an experienced TV news anchor and journalist covering original content for Newsmax magazine.
