POLK COUNTY, FL. (THECOUNT) — Sam Bruce, a St. Thomas Aquinas high school football legend, has died. He was only 24.
Bruce, who played briefly for the Miami Hurricanes, passed away, according to his former school.
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A cause of death was not provided as of Thursday afternoon.
In a post on the St. Thomas Aquinas football team’s Facebook page, officials wrote, “R.I.P. Sam Bruce! We Will Miss You and We Love You!”
Bruce’s former 7-on-7 team, the South Florida Express, also confirmed the tragedy on Thursday, writing in a tweet, “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. We spoke with Sam’s family, they just ask you to pray for their family during this time.”
Bruce was a superstar on the gridiron for Florida powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas … lighting up fields so often, he got the nickname, “The Samborghini,” reports TMZ.
Bruce eventually earned a four-star rating and received dozens of scholarship offers … before he eventually signed with the Miami Hurricanes in 2016.
Bruce did not play in a game for the ‘Canes, however, as he was dismissed for violations of team rules just months into his freshman season.
Bruce went on to attend Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. and Southeastern University … and later played for the Indoor Football League. He told the Sun-Sentinel in 2021 that he had been involved in the making of the Kurt Warner biopic, “American Underdog.”
Bruce’s former teammates and others in the football world have been mourning his death on social media Thursday … with Chad Johnson even posting a heartbroken emoji on his Twitter page.
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