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Rex Culpepper, a former Syracuse Orange quarterback, died this past weekend due to injuries suffered in a dirt bike accident in Georgia. He was 28.
“Our Orange family mourns the loss of Rex Culpepper, who passed away this weekend at the age of 28,” the Syracuse football program said in a statement 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.”
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Rex Culpepper of the Syracuse Orange runs out for the game against the Holy Cross Crusaders at the Carrier Dome on Sept. 28, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse defeats Holy Cross 41-3. (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
Culpepper’s fiancée, Savanna Morgan, confirmed his death in an emotional, heartbreaking Instagram post with photos and videos of them together.
Culpepper had just proposed to Morgan less than one month ago.
“No one expects to meet the love of your life and lose them in only 6 short years after meeting,” Morgan began the caption of her post. “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.
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“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.
Rex Culpepper of the Syracuse Orange warms up before the game against the Holy Cross Crusaders at the Carrier Dome on Sept. 28, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
“You made six years feel like a lifetime Rexy.”
Culpepper primarily played as the Orange’s backup quarterback during his time with the program from 2017 through 2020. He did eventually get into games as a tight end as well.
During his treatment, Culpepper became quite the name on the Orange football team, as he participated in the 2018 spring game, throwing a touchdown on the final drive to a roaring crowd and sideline with his teammates and coaches applauding his efforts.
He saw time in 30 career games, 16 of which at quarterback where he threw for 1,546 total yards with 11 touchdowns.
As Syracuse mentioned in its post, Culpepper battled cancer while with the program after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in March 2018. He underwent extensive chemotherapy to treat his illness, and he was declared cancer-free in June of that year.
Syracuse Orange quarterback Rex Culpepper talks to teammates on the sideline during the college football game between the Syracuse Orange and the Pittsburgh Panthers on Sept. 19, 2020 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA. (Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire)
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Culpepper is also the son of former Tampa Bay Buccanners defensive tackle, Brad Culpepper, who was a starter with the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears as well over his NFL career.
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