Culpepper defeated cancer in less than a month’s timing last year. Now the defensive tackle is ready to conquer the NFL.
On Dec. 6, 2023, four days after participating in the 2023 MAC Championship Game, Toledo defensive tackle Judge Culpepper received life-changing news.
He was diagnosed with Stage 1 testicular cancer.
Processing such terrifying news can be beyond heartbreaking for a 24-year old athlete, but Culpepper worked his hardest to fight the diagnosis. He immediately underwent surgery and in the week leading up to Toledo’s Dec. 30 Arizona Bowl, Culpepper was ruled cancer-free.
Not only was Culpepper clear of the cancer, but he was cleared to play football. He suited up and started the Arizona Bowl, finalizing his 6-year college career at Toledo — without even missing a single game due to the cancer diagnosis.
Four days after the 2023 MAC Championship Game, Toledo DT Judge Culpepper was diagnosed with Stage 1 testicular cancer
Earlier this week, it was revealed he is cancer free
Culpepper is playing in today’s Arizona Bowl – didn’t even miss one game pic.twitter.com/udyx2nrCvV
— Steve Helwick (@s_helwick) December 30, 2023
His older brother Rex played quarterback at Syracuse and also shared a similar trajectory in college. Rex was also diagnosed with testicular cancer in March 2018 and was labeled cancer-free by June 2018, defeating the unfortunate diagnosis in a brief amount of time.
Judge Culpepper originally committed to Penn State after leading Plant High School in Tampa to four district championships. The defensive tackle sat his first season with a redshirt but then suited up in all 22 Nittany Lion games in 2019 and 2020, serving primarily on special teams with a role as a reserve defensive lineman.
Culpepper transferred to Toledo for the 2021 season where he instantly assumed a starting position. After logging just eight tackles in his time at Penn State, he recorded 42 in his first season with the Rockets, adding 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss to his totals. He posted similar numbers in 2022, finishing with 44 tackles, 1.0 sack, and 4.0 tackles for loss for a MAC championship-winning Toledo squad, which was primarily anchored by its defense. The Rockets finished 18th in total defense in 2022, outlasting Ohio 10-7 in the MAC Championship Game and edging Liberty 21-19 in the Boca Raton Bowl.
The defensive tackle ran it back for the 2023 campaign, which was by far his best to date. Culpepper managed 38 tackles and attained career-highs in sacks (9.0) and tackles for loss (10.5). The MAC’s third-place leader in sacks also recovered and forced a fumble in a standout season which resulted in a First Team All-MAC recognition. He even received a Second Team All-American designation from the College Football Network, while leading Toledo’s 22nd ranked scoring defense to 11 wins.
After a 6-year college career, Culpepper declared for the NFL Draft and was invited to the Hula Bowl in Orlando, where he registered 2.5 tackles and a quarterback hurry in the annual exhibition. In the spring, he took another step toward the draft process by participating in Toledo’s Pro Day on March 19. Kent Lee Platte, the creator of the metric Relative Athletic Score (RAS), rated Culpepper a 7.01 out of 10 based on his Pro Day measurements compared to other defensive tackles.
Kent Lee Platte | https://ras.football/ras-information/?PlayerID=26030&ovl=Toledo
Culpepper is a bit undersized for an NFL defensive tackle role at 290 pounds. His most ideal placements in the league are a 3-4 defensive end or 4-3 defensive tackle (3-tech). His pass rush techniques and pure strength allow him to thrive in either role.
As shown by his Pro Day results, Culpepper possesses an impressive degree of agility which is displayed with his quick movements when rushing the passer. Culpepper attacks the line of scrimmage with a good burst and he has several effective counter moves in his arsenal to thwart off opposing blockers. Although he didn’t post a stellar 40-yard dash time, quickness is one of the stronger elements of his game, and he offered plenty of speed as an interior defensive lineman at Toledo.
Length and size are among attributes preventing him from landing higher on draft boards. Although there are exceptions, an ideal arm length for 3-techs and 4-3 defensive ends is often 33 inches or above. Also, an area of refinement in his game involves improvement of coming off blocks on the interior when defending the run.
Overall, Culpepper is a well-rounded athlete and a warrior on the field and off. Outside of defeating cancer, Culpepper was renowned off the field for his vast academic success, consistently appearing on All-Academic teams and earning consideration for the William V. Campbell Trophy, dubbed the “Academic Heisman.” The defensive tackle proved his worth on the gridiron as one of the MAC’s top defenders last year, thriving as an interior pass rusher with decent speed and a good bullrush. Expect Culpepper to land either in the seventh round of the NFL Draft on Saturday or as a priority undrafted free agent, where he’ll launch the next stage of his career.