Ex-Hurricane Bruce dies after car crash and seizure

Former St. Thomas Aquinas standout wide receiver and Miami Hurricanes player Sam Bruce died Thursday morning at the age of 24.

Bruce died at Broward Health Medical Center after being involved in a car crash and having a seizure in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday night, according to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.

Emergency responders received a call at 8:23 PM on Wednesday about a crash at 800 NW 22nd Road. CPR was performed on Bruce before he was transported by the Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue to the hospital.

The nephew of NFL Hall of Fame player Isaac Bruce, Sam was a star receiver at St. Thomas Aquinas from 2014 to 2015 and helped the Raiders win back-to-back state titles during that span. He made a combined 66 catches for 847 yards and 11 touchdowns during his junior and senior seasons while also carrying the ball 29 times for 190 yards and three scores.

Bruce left St. Thomas Aquinas after a photo surfaced online of him holding a gun, and he graduated from Westlake Prep in 2016.

A former four-star prospect, Bruce committed to the University of Miami in July 2014. He never played a game for the Hurricanes, though, after being dismissed from the program during his freshman year “due to multiple violations of team rules and a failure on his part to meet the clear expectations established to be part of the Miami football program.”

Bruce explained what he said some of his violations were in 2021, including oversleeping and missing the team bus on the day of a game against Florida State.

Several of Bruce’s former teammates and coaches took to Twitter to share their shock and condolences of Bruce’s death, including former Hurricanes defensive backs coach DeMarcus Van Dyke, who wrote “RIP Sam Bruce” followed by a hands-closed-in-prayer emoji.

“It is hard to find young men like a Sam Bruce,” said Cypress Bay coach Rocco Casullo, who coached Bruce in their title-winning season at St. Thomas Aquinas in 2014. “His energy in the locker room, his leadership in the locker room and the school, and his play on the field was unmatchable.

“I have been coaching high school football for 20 years now down here and there are certain individuals that you mention their name, not only in South Florida but across the country, and they know exactly who that person is. Sam Bruce is one of those guys.”

Former NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco Johnson also published a tweet in the wake of the news, reading “Sam Bruce” with a broken-heart emoji.

“Just an exceptional talent. Always had a smile,” long-time South Florida high school sports recruiting analyst Larry Blustein said. “A great kid. Hardworker. It is just a devastating loss.”