Former Syracuse quarterback Rex Culpepper dead at 28

On Monday, Syracuse football announced the death of former quarterback Rex Culpepper at age 28. Culpepper is the son of former Florida defensive tackle Brad Culpepper.

The Tampa Bay Times reported Monday that Culpepper died as a result of injuries suffered from a dirt bike accident in Georgia. His fiancee, Savanna Morgan, posted about his death on Instagram.

Notably, Rex had overcome cancer at age 20 while playing for the Orange. He appeared in 30 games for the program, playing multiple positions.

“Our Orange family mourns the loss of Rex Culpepper, who passed away this weekend at the age of 28,” Syracuse wrote in a statement. “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.”

Rex Culpepper first enrolled at Syracuse in 2016 after a successful high school career at Plant High School in Florida. He redshirted during his first year on campus but made the travel squad for a game against Clemson.

He would play in 12 games during his freshman season in 2017, getting four games under center with one start. He finished 45-of-75 passing for 518 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.

But Rex Culpepper would be diagnosed with testicular cancer shortly after. He battled the cancer and ultimately came out on top, returning to the field the next year.

He was presented with the program’s inaugural Jim DaRin Courage Award at the team banquet in 2018 for the strength he displayed in winning his battle with cancer. He was also one of the 10 nominees for the 2018 Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award. However, he did not record any statistics after switching from quarterback to tight end and appearing in six games.

He played in just two games in 2019. However, his senior year would include much more action in 2020.

Rex Culpepper appeared in 10 games at quarterback, making five starts during the COVID-19 impacted campaign. He went 94-of-190 passing for 1,028 yards, with nine touchdowns against eight interceptions. He finished his Syracuse career with 1,546 yards passing and 11 touchdowns, against 11 interceptions.

Out of high school, Culpepper was a three-star recruit and the No. 881 overall prospect in the 2016 recruiting class, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. He also checked in as the No. 55 quarterback in his class and the No. 121 overall player from the state of Florida.

Rex Culpepper was the son of Brad and Monica Culpepper. Brad was a former defensive tackle at Florida from 1988-91. Both Brad and Monica have appeared on the hit reality TV series Survivor.