The son of former Green Bay Packers linebacker Brady Poppinga died Wednesday after suffering a severe asthma attack last week, according to multiple reports. He was just 17.
Julius Poppinga, a junior at Westlake High School in Ventura County, California, and a member of the school’s varsity football team, died after suffering a severe asthma attack and ultimately a collapsed lung, the Ventura County Star reported.
Green Bay Packers linebacker Brady Poppinga drags down San Francisco 49ers running back DeShaun Foster during a preseason game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on Aug. 16, 2008. (Greg Trott/Getty Images)
The team confirmed Julius’ death in a post on social media.
“The Westlake Football family wants to send our deepest condolences to the Poppinga Family,” a post on Instagram stated. “Julius was a beloved member of our team and will be greatly missed by the entire tribe.”
Julius’ sister Jasmine also posted a message on Instagram.
“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,” she wrote.
Linebacker Brady Poppinga of the Green Bay Packers defends against the New Orleans Saints during a game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Sept. 17, 2006. (Rob Tringali/Sportschrome/Getty Images)
“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
