Son of ex-Packers Super Bowl champion dies after being hospitalized for asthma attack
Julius Poppinga, the son of former Super Bowl champion linebacker Brady Poppinga, died on Tuesday night. He was 17 years old.
Julius was a senior at Westlake High School in Westlake Village, Calif. He was a defensive end and offensive lineman for the Warriors but had not practiced or played since the team’s opener against Taft on Aug. 18.
According to the Ventura County Star, Julius suffered a severe asthma attack last week and was hospitalized. The 17-year-old incurred a collapsed lung while in the hospital and never recovered, the report says, though an official cause of death will not be known until an autopsy is performed.
The school’s principal sent out an email on Wednesday to disclose the news of Poppinga’s death.
Julius played lacrosse at Westlake in addition to football.
Julius’ father Brady played college football at BYU and later spent eight years in the NFL, six with the Green Bay Packers. Brady was a linebacker on the Packers’ 2010 Super Bowl-winning team.
Brady has become a designer of weight training/fitness equipment since retiring. He shared a video on his Instagram page in June that showed Julius doing some squats.
Julius Maximus Poppinga was the second of four children to the Poppingas and their only son. Brady named his son after the main character in his favorite movie, “Gladiator.”
