Florida International linebacker Luke Knox dead at 22

MIAMI — Luke Knox, a linebacker at Florida International and the younger brother of Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox, died Wednesday, the university announced. He was 22.

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A teammate found Luke Knox unresponsive in his dormitory room at about 8:40 p.m. EDT, Capt. Delrish Moss of FIU’s police department told the Miami Herald. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue took Knox to an area hospital, where he later died, according to the newspaper.

University officials have not disclosed the cause of Knox’s death but added that police do not suspect foul play.

Knox, a native of Brentwood, Tennessee, spent the past four seasons at the University of Mississippi before transferring to FIU, ESPN reported.

Knox played linebacker and tight end for Brentwood Academy as a three-star athlete, WZTV reported. At Ole Miss, Knox played linebacker and on special teams, according to the television station. He played mostly special teams the past two seasons and had 11 tackles, two for loss, in 2021, 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.”

Knox started two games at linebacker for Ole Miss in 2019, when MacIntyre was the team’s defensive coordinator, ESPN reported.

FIU’s practice was canceled on Thursday.

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

“I am very grateful for my personal relationship and time spent with Luke,” Kiffin wrote. “He was a tremendous teammate and an even better person who lifted up everyone around him.”

Bills coach Sean McDermott said his team will support Dawson Knox and his family, ESPN reported. The fourth-year tight end did not attend Thursday’s practice.

“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.”

Note: If you or someone you know is thinking of harming themselves, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free support via the Lifeline by dialing 988. For more about risk factors and warning signs, visit the organization’s official website.

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