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Rex Culpepper, a former Syracuse Orange quarterback, died this past weekend from injuries sustained in a motorcycle 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 at the X. “Rex lived his life with endless passion, having overcome cancer at age 20 while playing for the Orange.
“Appearing in 30 games, Rex played football as hard as he lived life. Our hearts go out to the Culpepper family and all those who loved him.”
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Rex Culpepper of the Syracuse Orange runs during the game against the Holy Cross Crusaders at the Carrier Dome on September 28, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. Syracuse defeats Holy Cross 41-3. (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
Culpepper’s fiancee, 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 a month ago.
“No one expects to meet the love of your life and lose them in just 6 short years after meeting,” Morgan captioned her post. “Rex didn’t always believe in soulmates, but towards the end he told me he didn’t realize what it felt like to have a soulmate 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 put 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 of our 6 years.
Rex Culpepper of the Syracuse Orange warms up before the game against the Holy Cross Crusaders at the Carrier Dome on September 28, 2019 in Syracuse, New York. (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
“You made six years feel like Rexy for life.”
Culpepper played primarily as the Orange’s backup quarterback during his time with the program from 2017 to 2020. He also eventually entered games as a tight end.
During his treatment, Culpepper became a household name on the Orange football team when 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, including 16 at quarterback, throwing for 1,546 total yards with 11 touchdowns.
As Syracuse mentioned in its post, Culpepper battled cancer while in the program after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in March 2018. He underwent extensive chemotherapy to treat his disease and 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 September 19, 2020 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA. (Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire)
Culpepper is also the son of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Brad Culpepper, who was also a starter with the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears throughout his NFL career.
