Former Syracuse quarterback Rex Culpepper died over the weekend after sustaining injuries in a dirt bike accident in Georgia a few weeks ago. He was just 28 years old. Culpepper's fiancée, Savanna Morgan, confirmed his death in an emotional Instagram post on Monday.
The tragic news came less than a month after the couple had happily announced their engagement on social media, sharing photos of Culpepper getting down on one knee while Morgan proudly showed off her ring. "No one expects to meet the love of your life and lose them in only 6 short years after meeting," Morgan wrote in the post, which featured images and videos of Culpepper.
Gone too Soon
"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," she continued.
"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.
"You made six years feel like a lifetime Rexy."
Culpepper spent four seasons with the Orange from 2017 to 2020, mostly serving as the team's backup quarterback, though he also saw some action at tight end.
Over the course of his college career, he appeared in 30 games. In 16 of those appearances, he played at quarterback, throwing for 1,546 yards and recording 11 touchdown passes.
In March 2018, Culpepper was diagnosed with testicular cancer and went through an intense round of chemotherapy treatments. Despite the difficult battle, he made a memorable return during Syracuse's spring game that year.
Fought Many Health Battles
Entering on the final drive, Culpepper led the offense down the field and capped it off by guiding his team to a touchdown. He was declared cancer-free in June 2018.
Former Syracuse teammate Eric Dungey also paid tribute to Culpepper on social media, remembering him as a "guy who had zero fear and truly lived life to the fullest."
Culpepper came from a family of footballers. He was the son of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Brad Culpepper. His younger brother, Judge, also followed the sport, playing defensive tackle at both Penn State and Toledo during his college career.
"I'm sure that myself and all of you who cared about him will never truly be able to move on after knowing someone like him," Morgan wrote on Monday.
"You don't just meet people like Rex all the time. He was one in a billion. There wasn't one thing that man couldn't do. Lawyer, mechanic, musician, chef, athlete, nerd....lover."
