Luke Knox, a football player from Florida International and younger brother of Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox, died Wednesday evening, the school announced. He was 22 years old. The cause of death was not revealed, but university police said they don’t suspect foul play, according to ESPN.
“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.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
Luke Knox spent the last four years at Ole Miss and was a linebacker. He played mostly on special teams but started two games at linebacker in 2019 when MacIntyre was the defensive coordinator. Last year, Knox made the transition from linebacker to tight end during spring drills. He saw action in seven games and recorded 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, one pass defended and one fumble recovery. Knox is from Brentwood, Tennessee and played high school football at Brentwood Academy.
“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.”
Bills coach Sean McDermott spoke to reporters on Thursday morning and said the team is showing support for Dawson Knox and his family. “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.”
FIU players were told of Luke Knox’s death late Wednesday and Thursday’s practice was canceled. Lane Kiffin, the head coach of Ole Miss said: “I am very grateful for my personal relationship and time spent with Luke. He was a tremendous teammate and an even better person who lifted up everyone around him.”
Most Viewed
-
(Credit: Netflix) -
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert during Monday’s May 18, 2026 show. Photo: Scott Kowalchyk ©2026 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. -
(Credit: Imagesines/Getty Images) -
Attend the "Modern Family" ATAS event at Saban Media Center on May 3, 2017 in North Hollywood, California. -
(Disney/Mike Taing) RICHARD T. JONES, BRIDGET REGAN -
GREY’S ANATOMY – Key Art. (Disney) -
“Reverse the Curse” – Back from tribal, tensions rise following the exit of a particularly historic player. The final five immunity challenge ends in a showdown and features one of the closest finishes the show has ever seen. Jeff reveals the outcomes of the remaining in-game fan votes and how they impact the final stage of the competition. Then, one castaway will be crowned Sole Survivor and awarded the $2 million prize, during the three-hour live season finale, on SURVIVOR 50, Wednesday, May 20 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. Jeff Probst serves as host and executive producer. Pictured: Aubry Bracco Photo: Robert Voets/CBS ©2025 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
