Former NFL Star Steve White Succumbs To Cancer At 48

Former NFL player Steve White died on Tuesday after enduring a long battle with cancer. The 48-year-old league player wore his jersey for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001 and later for the New York Jets.

In early April, White tweeted about his battle with cancer saying that many of his fans were aware of his struggle with the disease for the past 8 years and that he needed an immediate bone marrow transplant even way back in 2017 during the early stages of his chronic lymphocytic leukemia, The New York Post reported. He went on to say that a transplant is finally upon him but that he was in good spirits and prepared for the procedure.

"I am now at a point where I need to go through a bone marrow transplant. It is something I knew would eventually have to happen since 2017 and now that day is actually here," his tweet said.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), is a type of cancer that attacks the blood and bone marrow of the body. It is labeled as “chronic” as this type of leukemia progresses typically slower than other types of leukemia. White’s former colleagues, teammates, and fans expressed their grief over his death on social media

Shaun King, a former quarterback for the Buccaneers wrote on Twitter saying that he had heard of the death of his former teammate and expressed his condolences to his family and friends. He remarks saying that White always gave him encouraging words when he was a young member of the Buccaneers. Former Tampa Bay player Tyoka Jackson gave his condolences to White’s wife, children, family, and friends in a tweet, remarking that he would never forget the fun memories they had.

White, a native of Memphis, Tennessee played for the University of Tennessee Volunteers while he was a student. The former NFL player retired in 2002 after playing just one season with the New York Jets. during his career as a defensive end. He accumulated over 119 tackles and 11.5 sacks. During the NFC divisional playoffs in 1999, White tallied up two sacks that totaled 20 yards, leading the Buccaneers to a 14-13 victory against the Washington Redskins. His performance earned him the title of “Defensive Player of the week”.