Former University of Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Sam Bruce is dead at the age of 24..
via People:
St. Thomas Aquinas, Bruce’s high school, confirmed the former football star’s death in a Facebook post on Thursday. “R.I.P. Sam Bruce ! We Will Miss You and We Love You !” the team’s page reads.
Bruce was involved in a car accident on the road in Fort Lauderdale around 8:23 p.m. on Wednesday and had suffered a seizure, TMZ reported.
A spokesperson for the Ft. Lauderdale Police Department told the outlet that medics performed CPR on Bruce upon arriving at the scene before transporting him to a nearby hospital. Bruce later died at the hospital on Thursday morning.
“At this time the circumstances surrounding this incident are not suspicious and foul play is not suspected,” the FLPD spokesperson told the outlet.
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional comment.
The South Florida Express, his high school 7-on-7 team, offered their condolences as well.
“We are saddened to hear about the loss of one of the greatest players to ever come through SFE. Your infectious energy, and the ability to make anybody laugh will forever live in our hearts,” the team tweeted. “We spoke with Sams family, they just ask you to pray for their family during this time.”
Bruce, the nephew of NFL Hall of Fame player Isaac Bruce, played at St. Thomas from 2014 to 2015, during which time he helped the team clinch two back-to-back state titles.
The wide receiver committed to play for the University of Miami Hurricanes in 2014. However, he never played a game for the team as he was dismissed for multiple team rules violations months into his freshman season, per TMZ.
Bruce admitted in 2021 that the list of violations included falling asleep during meetings and missing the team bus on a game day against Florida State. The Sun-Sentinel reported last year Bruce went on to enroll at Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. and then Southeastern University after leaving the University of Miami.
He signed to play for the Frisco Fighters of the Indoor Football League, though the season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020.
Former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Chad Ochocinco Johnson reacted to the news in a brief tweet. “Sam Bruce,” he wrote with a broken-heart emoji. Panthers wide receiver Robby Anderson also shared a message following the young football player’s passing. “Um Finna be like Sam Bruce in the open field this year bra gone live thru me,” he said.
RIP.
