22-Year-Old Luke Knox, College Football Player and Brother of Buffalo Bills’ Dawson Knox, Dies Suddenly

Florida International University football player Luke Knox has died at 22, the school announced Thursday.

Knox, the younger brother of Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox, spent the past four seasons at Ole Miss before transferring to FIU.

BREAKING REPORT: Luke Knox, Florida College Football Player and Brother of Buffalo Bills TE Dawson Knox, Dies Suddenly at the Age of 22…

WHY ARE SO MANY YOUNG ATHLETES DYING?

— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) August 18, 2022

We are saddened by the sudden passing of Luke Knox, a member of the FIU Football program.

We send our thoughts and prayers to Luke’s family, friends and teammates during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/07tHUiBByj

— FIU Athletics (@FIUAthletics) August 18, 2022

Our hearts are broken over the sudden passing of Luke Knox.

Please keep the Knox family in your thoughts and prayers during this time. pic.twitter.com/k92UdhCVov

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 18, 2022

“Words cannot express the heartfelt sorrow we feel because of the passing of our teammate and friend, Luke Knox,” FIU coach Mike MacIntyre said in a statement.

“I had the honor of coaching Luke at Ole Miss and FIU. While I admired his passion for football, his genuine love for his family and teammates is what I will always remember. He had a special way of making everyone around him feel comfortable and confident.”

Knox’s cause of death was not revealed, though the university said police do not suspect foul play.

From ESPN:

Knox started two games at linebacker for Ole Miss in 2019, when MacIntyre served as defensive coordinator. He played mostly special teams the past two seasons and had 11 tackles, two for loss, in 2021.

“We send our thoughts and prayers to Luke’s family, friends and teammates during this difficult time,” FIU athletics said in a statement. “Coaches and support staff have been reaching out to our football family and will continue to do so to ensure our student-athletes have the support they need.”

FIU players were told of Knox’s death late Wednesday. Thursday’s practice was canceled, and grief counselors were brought in to meet with the team and others from the university community.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin also offered his condolences in a tweet Thursday morning.

“I am very grateful for my personal relationship and time spent with Luke,” Kiffin said.

“He was a tremendous teammate and an even better person who lifted up everyone around him.”

🙏🧎‍♂️💙⁦@OleMissFB⁩ ⁦@FIUFootball⁩ pic.twitter.com/ofif6Hbyyj

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) August 18, 2022

“Bills coach Sean McDermott said he woke up Thursday morning to the news and emphasized that the franchise will support Dawson Knox and his family. The fourth-year tight end was not at Thursday’s practice,” ESPN added.

“My heart goes out to — our hearts go out to Dawson and his family during this time,” McDermott said. “We’re right there with him and supporting him and his family and just tragic news that I woke up to this morning. So we love him, and we support him and just unfortunate news this morning.”

“No foul play is suspected in Knox’s death, which the Miami-Dade Police Department is investigating, Detective Chris Thomas told NBC News. Knox’s cause of death has yet to be determined by the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office,” NBC News added.

From WSVN-TV: