Former Buccaneers pass rusher tragically passes away aged 48 following battle with cancer

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Steve White recently passed away after a long battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. This is a type of cancer that attacks the blood and the bone marrow. He was just 48 years old and way too young for his life to come to an end.

White received his cancer diagnosis about eight years ago in 2014. In 2017, he was informed that he would eventually need a bone marrow transplant when the cancer progressed. However, the exact timetable was unknown.

In April 2022, White announced on Twitter that the day had officially come. He said that he would be scheduling his bone marrow transplant. It was a serious procedure that would require several months in the hospital to recover from. There is also an intensive recovery program at home for outpatients, following the inpatient stay at the hospital.

Just about four months later, on August 30, 2022, Stephen White passed away due to complications from the disease. The intensive treatment program was unfortunately unable to offset the progressive nature of the CLL enough to extend his life any further.

Steve White's NFL career with the Buccaneers and beyond

Tampa Bay Buccaneers DE Steve White

Steve White was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 1996 NFL Draft. After failing to appear in a regular-season game for the Eagles during his rookie season, he was released by the organization. He then signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

White spent six seasons in Tampa Bay, proving his reliability and durability. He appeared in all but five games during his five full seasons with the team. He totaled 119 tackles and 11.5 sacks while forcing three fumbles and recovering two.

White elevated his output during his postseason career with the Buccaneers. During the three-year span between the 1999 and 2001 NFL seasons, he appeared in four playoff games. He recorded 13 tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble and an interception.

White concluded his NFL career with the New York Jets. He spent a year in New York, playing 15 games during the 2002 season. Following his career on the field, he remained in the NFL sphere as a blogger, mostly with SB Nation.

His passing has been met with great sadness in the NFL community.