Julius Poppinga.Photo:Brady Poppinga/Instagram
Brady Poppinga/Instagram
Jasmine also shared images of tributes his Westlake High School made for her brother in recent days, including a memorial with flowers and a photo of the football field’s scoreboard reading “Julius” and “Poppinga” in place of the home and away team names alongside his number displayed in lights.
Julius Poppinga.Brady Poppinga/Instagram
Julius is one of Brady and wife Brooke Hubbard’s three children. Brady, 43, played in the NFL from 2005 until 2012, winning a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in 2010 before joining the St. Louis Rams and finishing out his career with the Dallas Cowboys.
TheVentura County Starreported that Julius had suffered a collapsed lung while in the hospital and died Wednesday. Westlake High School Principal Jason Branham sent out a letter to students announcing his death, according to theTimes.
In addition to its tributes on campus, the high school memorialized Julius in a post on social media through its football team.
Brady Poppinga.Getty
Getty
“He always knows how to make me laugh or smile even on the hardest days,” his sister wrote in her tribute post. “Everyone who has a chance to interact with Julius and all of his accomplishments in this life have been blessed. 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.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Jasmine added: “I am beyond proud to be his sister and best friend. I miss him more then anyone can ever imagine, but knowing that Julius’s lovely soul is in the hands of God comforts me.”
source: people.com
