Ex-College Football Star Dies In Tragic Accident At 28

Rex Culpepper, a former Syracuse quarterback and the son of Survivor alumni Brad and Monica Culpepper, has died after a dirt bike crash in Florida. He was 28.

Culpepper died from injuries he sustained in the accident, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Syracuse football also confirmed his death in a social media post.

“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,” the program said in a statement.

The school added, “Our hearts are with the Culpepper family & all those who loved him.”

Culpepper played in 30 games for Syracuse from 2017-2020, according to USA Today. The Florida native was diagnosed with testicular cancer in the spring of 2018, but returned to the field months later, appearing in six games the following fall. He later received Syracuse’s Jim DaRin Courage Award.

In recent weeks, Culpepper had been planning a new chapter. He proposed to his girlfriend of six years, Savanna Morgan, and the couple announced their engagement on Instagram.

On Monday, March 16, Morgan shared that Culpepper had died and posted a lengthy tribute.

Heartbreaking: Former Syracuse QB Rex Culpepper has passed away from injuries that he suffered in a dirt bike accident this weekend at only 28 years old.

Rex got engaged to his fiancée, Savanna, one month ago.

An absolutely devestating story 😔💔 pic.twitter.com/95P90mJ07Y

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 16, 2026

“No one expects to meet the love of your life and lose them in only 6 short years after meeting,” Morgan wrote. “Rex didnt always believe in soulmates but towards the end he told me that he didnt 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 dont regret a single day in our 6 years.”

Culpepper’s father, Brad Culpepper, played defensive tackle in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears before becoming a familiar face to reality TV viewers. He appeared on Survivor: Blood vs Water and later finished as runner-up on Survivor: Game Changers. Culpepper’s mother, Monica, also competed on Survivor: Blood vs. Water and Survivor: One World.

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