‘INCOMPREHENSIBLE’

17-Year-Old Son of Ex-Packers Super Bowl Champ Dies After Apparent Asthma Attack

Julius Poppinga, who played for his California high school football team, was hospitalized after having breathing issues, and reportedly later suffered a collapsed lung.

Julius Poppinga, the 17-year-old son of Super Bowl champion Brady Poppinga, died Wednesday after being hospitalized, a school official confirmed. Poppinga, who played on the football team at California’s Westlake High School, was taken to a hospital for breathing issues, a source told the Los Angeles Times. Other sources told the Ventura County Star that the teen had had a severe asthma attack. Those insiders added that Poppinga had failed to recover after suffering a collapsed lung in the hospital. Mark Serve, a Westlake coach, told the Times on Thursday that he had recently visited his player in the hospital. “He didn’t want to talk about his health. He wanted to talk football,” Serve said. “We talked about him getting back on the field... This morning, I got the news.” Westlake Principal Jason Braham said in a school-wide email that it was “important that we continue to support and be there for one another in this incomprehensible time of loss and sadness.” Poppinga’s teammates will play a previously scheduled game on Friday, with Serve telling the Times that Brady Poppinga had said Julius would’ve wanted the team to do it.