FORMER Syracuse Orange quarterback Rex Culpepper has died at the age of just 28 after a fatal dirt bike crash.

Culpepper sadly succumbed to his injuries over the weekend, leaving his family and the Syracuse community devastated.

Holy Cross v SyracuseFormer Syracuse Orange quarterback Rex Culpepper has sadly passed away aged 28

 

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Culpepper ‘played football as fierce as he lived life’

 

 

 

The college football program released a statement paying tribute to their former quarterback in the wake of the news.

It read, “Our Orange family mourns the loss of Rex Culpepper, who passed away this weekend at the age of 28.

“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’s fiancee, Savanna Morgan, confirmed his death in a heartbreaking Instagram post, sharing pictures and videos of the two together.

They had only been engaged for just under a month when tragedy struck.

Morgan’s post read, “No one expects to meet the love of your life and lose them in only 6 short years after meeting.

“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.

“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… You made six years feel like a lifetime Rexy.”

 

 

 

During his time with the Orange between 2017-2020, Culpepper was primarily the backup quarterback.

He would also slot in as a tight end on the offense and ended up featuring in a total of 30 games for Syracuse.

As Syracuse’s tribute mentioned, he dealt with significant adversity during his time there as he overcame cancer at the age of 20.

Culpepper, the son of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Brad Culpepper, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2018.

During his chemotherapy treatment, he became quite the name on the football team.

 

 

 

He featured in the 2018 spring game and threw a touchdown on the final drive, sending fans, coaches and players alike wild with joy.

Culpepper was declared cancer-free in June 2018 after three months of extensive chemotherapy.

He played 16 of his 30 games at quarterback for the Orange, throwing for 1,546 total yards with 11 touchdowns.