Former Bucs defensive end Steve White dies at age 48

TAMPA — Steve White, who played six seasons as a defensive end for the Bucs, has died at the age of 48, according to several former teammates.

Tyoka Jackson, a former Bucs and Rams defensive lineman, posted on Twitter Tuesday night that White had died.

“#RIP to my road game roommate. My condolences go out to his wife, children, family and friends. The memories, the fun, the conversations will never be forgotten.”

Bucs Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp said White was among the best teammates he had in Tampa Bay.

“He was the best,” Sapp said. “Smart, tough and willing to listen.”

White also spent a year as an assistant coach under Jim Leavitt at USF.

In April, White tweeted that he was checking into Moffitt Cancer Center for a bone marrow transplant. He had been battling chronic lymphocytic leukemia for the last eight years.

A sixth-round pick of the Eagles out of Tennessee in the 1996 draft, White played a total of seven seasons in the NFL, including his last one for the Jets in 2002.

White lived in Tampa and worked as a football blogger.

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