Former Plant, Syracuse QB Rex Culpepper dies in dirt bike accident

Former Plant High School and Syracuse quarterback Rex Culpepper died as the result of injuries suffered in a dirt bike accident Saturday in Georgia, the Tampa Bay Times confirmed. He was 28.Culpepper’s fiancée, Savanna Morgan, posted Monday about his death on Instagram.“No one expects to meet the love of your life and lose them in only 6 short years after meeting ...” she wrote. “And one thing about us is we lived every single day like it was our last. … You made six years feel like a lifetime, Rexy."Eric Dungey, who played with Culpepper at Syracuse, also posted on Instagram: “RIP Rexy. A guy who had zero fear and truly lived life to the fullest. Thanks for all the memories, brother.”Culpepper is the son of Monica and Brad Culpepper, a former University of Florida and Bucs defensive tackle, and now a prominent Tampa attorney.His younger brother, Judge, also played at Plant and was a defensive tackle at Penn State and Toledo. Judge was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Bucs in 2024 but was waived following the preseason. He is also survived by his sister, Honor, who played basketball at Plant and New York University.Rex Culpepper ranked among the top 10 high school quarterbacks in Florida, passing for more than 2,100 yards and 21 touchdowns during his career at Plant. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in March 2018. The cancer, which spread to his lymph nodes, was announced shortly after he noticed symptoms, and he underwent extensive chemotherapy before being declared cancer-free in June 2018.He played in Syracuse’s spring game while still undergoing chemotherapy and entered the game on the final drive, leading his team to a touchdown. “Rex lived his life with endless passion, having overcome cancer at the age of 20 while playing for the Orange,” Syracuse’s football program posted on X. “... Rex played football as fierce as he lived life. Our hearts are with the Culpepper family & all who loved him.”Culpepper appeared in 30 games throughout his college career, including 16 at quarterback. He passed for 1,546 yards and 11 touchdowns.He switched to tight end during the 2018 season before later returning to quarterback.“You just don’t meet people like Rex all the time,” Morgan wrote. “He was one in a billion. There wasn’t one thing that man couldn’t do. Lawyer, mechanic, musician, chef, athlete, nerd … lover."• • • Sign up for our Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.Every weekday, tune into our Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast to hear reporter Rick Stroud break down the biggest stories in Tampa Bay sports.Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on X and Facebook .