Steve White (American football)
{{Short description|American football player and sports blogger (1973–2022)}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Steve White
| number = 94, 95
| position = Defensive end
| birth_date = {{birth date|1973|10|25}}
| birth_place = Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|08|30|1973|10|25}}
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 2
| weight_lb = 270
| high_school = Westwood {{nowrap|(Memphis, Tennessee)}}
| college = Tennessee
| draftyear = 1996
| draftround = 6
| draftpick = 194
| pastteams =
- Philadelphia Eagles (1996)*
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers ({{NFL Year|1996|2001}})
- New York Jets ({{NFL Year|2002}})
- Tampa Bay Storm ({{AFL Year|2006}}){{cite web |title=Steve White |url=https://www.statscrew.com/football/stats/p-whiteste001 |website=StatsCrew |access-date=19 December 2024}}
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 119
| statlabel2 = Sacks
| statvalue2 = 11.5
| statlabel3 = Forced fumbles
| statvalue3 = 3
| statlabel4 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue4 = 2
| pfr = WhitSt21
}}
Stephen Gregory White (October 25, 1973 – August 30, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end for seven seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets in the National Football League (NFL). He was later a football blogger for SB Nation.
Playing career
White attended Westwood High School in Memphis, Tennessee, and played for the school's football team as a linebacker. He enrolled at the University of Tennessee, where he played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers from 1992 to 1995 as a defensive end. He played in 40 games for the Volunteers, starting 21 games at right defensive end.{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2002/01/12/high-profile-steve-white/|title=High Profile: Steve White|first=Roger|last=Mills|work=Tampa Bay Times|date=January 12, 2002|accessdate=August 31, 2022}} White recorded 105 tackles, 20 sacks, and forced six fumbles with Tennessee.
The Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) selected White in the sixth round of the 1996 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=1996 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1996/draft.htm |access-date=March 30, 2023 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Munz |first=Jason |date=August 31, 2022 |title=Steve White dies: Tennessee football star, Buccaneers, Jets DL was 48 |url=https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/2022/08/31/steve-white-memphis-native-former-nfl-defensive-lineman-dies-48/7947965001/ |access-date=August 31, 2022 |website=Commercial Appeal}} The Eagles wanted White to play as a linebacker and had him lose {{convert|20|lbs}}. The Eagles cut White before the start of the 1996 NFL season{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/614134864/?terms=%22steve%20white%22%20%22philadelphia%20eagles%22&match=1 |title=21 Aug 1996, 15 – The York Dispatch |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=August 21, 1996 |accessdate=August 31, 2022}} and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed him to their practice squad.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/646410341/?terms=%22steve%20white%22%20buccaneers%22&match=1 |title=28 Aug 1996, 80 – Fort Worth Star-Telegram |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=August 28, 1996 |accessdate=August 31, 2022}} The Buccaneers signed him as a defensive end and asked him to gain the 20 pounds back.
In October 1996, Tampa Bay signed White to their active roster.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/123652817/?terms=%22steve%20white%22%20buccaneers%22&match=1 |title=16 Oct 1996, Page 38 – Arizona Republic |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=October 16, 1996 |accessdate=August 31, 2022}} He was a backup in his first three seasons. In the 1998 season, an injury to Chidi Ahanotu required White to backup Tyoka Jackson at left defensive end, though he typically had played on the right side.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/327330756/?terms=%22steve%20white%22%20%22buccaneers%22&match=1 |title=17 Oct 1998, 46 – Tampa Bay Times |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=October 17, 1998 |accessdate=September 2, 2022}} White beat out Regan Upshaw to become a starting defensive end for the Buccaneers in 1999. He started 13 games that season. In the 1999 playoffs, he recorded seven tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble. White lost his starting job to Marcus Jones the next season, and recorded five sacks as a substitute, alternating with Jones and Simeon Rice. White signed with the New York Jets before the 2002 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/529632405/?terms=%22steve%20white%22%20jets&match=1 |title=8 Mar 2002, 38 – The Herald-News |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=March 8, 2002 |accessdate=August 31, 2022}} He played as a backup and was waived in February 2003.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/166620021/?terms=%22steve%20white%22&match=1 |title=21 Feb 2003, Page 36 – The Journal News |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=February 21, 2003 |accessdate=September 2, 2022}} In his NFL career, White played in 94 games, starting 15 games. He started 13 of those games during the 1999 season.{{Cite web |date=August 31, 2022 |title=Ex-Bucs lineman Steve White dies at age 48 |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/34494354/former-tampa-bay-buccaneers-lineman-steve-white-dies-age-48 |access-date=March 16, 2024 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}} He retired with 119 tackles and 11.5 sacks.
Later life
After his playing career, White was an assistant coach for the University of South Florida for one year. He wrote about the NFL for SB Nation from 2013 to 2020.{{Cite web |last=Coleman |first=Madeline |date=August 31, 2022 |title=Former Vols, Bucs Defensive Lineman Steve White Dies at 48 – Sports Illustrated |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/08/31/former-vols-bucs-defensive-lineman-steve-white-dies-at-48 |access-date=August 31, 2022 |website=Sports Illustrated}}
White lived in Tampa, Florida, after his career. He was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2014 and he received a bone marrow transplant at the Moffitt Cancer Center in April 2022. He died on August 30, 2022, at the age of 48.{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/sports/bucs/2022/08/30/former-bucs-defensive-end-steve-white-dies-at-age-48/|title=Former Bucs defensive end Steve White dies at age 48|first=Rick|last=Stroud|work=Tampa Bay Times|date=August 31, 2022|access-date=August 31, 2022}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Twitter}}
{{Eagles1996DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:White, Steve}}
Category:Deaths from leukemia in Florida
Category:Players of American football from Memphis, Tennessee
Category:American football defensive ends
Category:Tennessee Volunteers football players
Category:Tampa Bay Buccaneers players
Category:New York Jets players