The Buffalo Bills observed a moment of silence for Luke Knox, brother of Dawson Knox, before their August matchup with the Denver Broncos.
Luke Knox, a collegiate football player, died at 22. According to Florida International University, Knox, who joined the team the previous summer, was discovered comatose in his dormitory room by colleagues on August 17.
No cause of death was mentioned at the time, and the police added that they found no indication of wrongdoing. No other details about Knox’s passing were made public.
FIU Coach Mike MacIntyre said paid tribute to Luke at the time, saying:
“Words cannot explain the sincere sorrow we feel due to the passing of our teammate and friend, Luke Knox. I had the chance to coach Luke at FIU and Ole Miss. Even though I respected his love for the sport, I’ll always remember his genuine affection for his family and teammates.”
Bills coach Sean McDermott told reporters at the time:
“Our thoughts go out to Dawson and his family during this time. He has our utmost support, and we’re right there with him and his family. I simply received terrible news this morning. We support him and adore him.”
Luke and Dawson were close, and the former devoted a significant portion of his Instagram account to the latter.
After Dawson was selected in the 2019 draft, Luke posted on Instagram, saying,
“So dang proud of you, bro. Get what’s yours now! I love you.”
Luke originally signed for Ole Miss as a linebacker and tight end, but later moved to FIU, intending to compete for a linebacker position. However, before the Bills selected his older brother in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft as a tight end, he played for two years with Dawson at Ole Miss.
Luke became a member of the Rebels’ 2018 class of recruits. The Tennessee native finished the 2021 season with 11 tackles, two defended passes, and a fumble recovery.
According to People Magazine, Luke lived with his three younger siblings, LJ, Isaiah, and Nate, and older brother, Buffalo Bills player, Dawson. LJ, his younger sister, is an Auburn University soccer player.
Dawson Knox appeared to pay his respects to his late brother after scoring a touchdown in the Bills’ 24-20 win against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Dawson caught the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter and celebrated by pointing to the sky.
The Bills ran out winners in a low-scoring affair, gaining revenge for their AFC Championship loss to Kansas last season.