In a devastating turn of events, the 17-year-old son of former Green Bay Packers linebacker Brady Poppinga, named Julius Poppinga, tragically passed away.
The incident followed a severe asthma attack he endured last week, marking a heartbreaking loss for his family and community.
Julius, a junior at Westlake High School in Ventura County, California, had been an active member of the school’s varsity football team.
Unfortunately, he lost his life due to complications stemming from the severe asthma attack, which ultimately led to a collapsed lung.
The news of Julius Poppinga’s untimely passing was confirmed by the school’s football team through a post on social media, leaving the community in mourning.
Amazing show of love and support tonight for the Poppinga family from our Warrior community! #WeAreWarriors #JP58 #JP84 #WarriorFamily pic.twitter.com/AT5MDYfQfl
— Westlake HS (@WestlakeHS_CA) August 31, 2023
“The Westlake Football family wants to send our deepest condolences to the Poppinga Family,” an Instagram post stated. “Julius was a beloved member of our team and will be greatly missed by the entire tribe.”
“Taking this tragic event and looking at it in a positive way has been hard, but instead of grieving I would rather celebrate his 17 wonderful and beautiful years on this Earth and all the impacts he made in my life, my families, his peers, teammates, teachers, coaches, and anyone who has ever met him,” Julius’ sister Jasmine said.
“I miss him more than anyone can ever imagine, but knowing that Julius’s lovely soul is in the hands of God comforts me. The way life works through God and our guardian angels is sometimes not the outcome we want or would ever expect.
“I don’t have the immediate answers as to why something so sudden would happen like this and I don’t know if I ever will have the exact answer. I trust in God, the universe, and all higher powers that Julius will be taken care of and will be here to watch and comfort over my family.”
Brady Poppinga, an NFL veteran who spent a significant portion of his eight-year career with the Green Bay Packers, made a name for himself after being selected in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft from Brigham Young University.
During his tenure in Green Bay, spanning six seasons, Poppinga contributed to the team’s success, resulting in a Super Bowl victory in his final season.
Following his time with the Packers, Poppinga briefly played for the St. Louis Rams in the subsequent year before deciding to retire from professional football after a single season with the Dallas Cowboys.
In the wake of a tragic loss, Westlake High School’s football coach, Mark Serve, shared that he recently had a heartfelt conversation with Julius Poppinga, Brady’s son.
Despite the difficult circumstances, the team maintains a scheduled game for Friday, a decision reportedly in accordance with Brady Poppinga’s belief that his son would have wanted the team to play on.
