4:48 PM PT -- Cops tell TMZ Sports ... Bruce died following an accident on the road at around 8:23 p.m. in Fort Lauderdale.
A spokesperson for the Fort Lauderdale Police Dept. said Bruce was involved in a car crash and was suffering from a seizure. The spokesperson said medics arrived on scene and performed CPR on Bruce, before taking him to a nearby hospital.
Sadly, Bruce later passed away at the hospital on Thursday morning.
"At this time," the FLPD spokesperson said, "the circumstances surrounding this incident are not suspicious and foul play is not suspected."
Florida high school football legend Sam Bruce -- who played briefly for the Miami Hurricanes -- has tragically died at 24 years old ... his former H.S. announced on Thursday.
In a post on the St. Thomas Aquinas football team's Facebook page, officials wrote, "R.I.P. Sam Bruce ! We Will Miss You and We Love You !"
Bruce's former 7-on-7 team, the South Florida Express, also confirmed the tragedy on Thursday ... writing in a tweet, "We are saddened to hear about the loss of one of the greatest players to ever come through SFE."
"Your infectious energy, and the ability to make anybody laugh will forever live in our hearts. We spoke with Sam's family, they just ask you to pray for their family during this time."
Further details surrounding Bruce's death have not yet been revealed.
Bruce was a superstar on the gridiron for Florida powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas ... lighting up fields so often, he got the nickname, "The Samborghini."
Bruce eventually earned a four-star rating and received dozens of scholarship offers ... before he eventually signed with the Miami Hurricanes in 2016.
Bruce did not play in a game for the 'Canes, however, as he was dismissed for violations of team rules just months into his freshman season.
Bruce went on to attend Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. and Southeastern University ... and later played for the Indoor Football League. He said in 2021 that he had been involved in the making of the Kurt Warner biopic, "American Underdog."
Sam Bruce 💔
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) April 28, 2022
Bruce's former teammates and others in the football world have been mourning his death on social media Thursday ... with Chad Johnson even posting a heartbroken emoji on his Twitter page.
RIP.