Steve White Cause of Death Revealed: Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Dead at 48

By Alexandria Reeves

Steve White, former NFL and Tampa Bay Buccaneers player, tragically died at 48, the team confirmed.

On Wednesday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers released a statement regarding White's passing. The team shared a photo of the ex-player alongside a statement regarding his death.

"We are saddened to hear of the passing of Steve White after his courageous battle with cancer," the Buccs said. "Steve was an impactful and respected member of the Buccaneers' vaunted defenses over six seasons and continued to connect with fans as part of the Tampa Bay community following his playing career."

The team did not disclose his exact cancer diagnosis, but PEOPLE noted that he was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia eight years ago.

He also revealed in April that he needed a bone marrow transplant so he would check into Moffitt Cancer Center.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to the American Cancer Society, is the most common type of leukemia adults get diagnosed with. It starts in cells in a patient's bone marrow before going into the blood.

Colleagues and fans shared outpouring tributes after learning Steve White's death.

Rest In Peace, my guy Steve White(@sgw94). I was just doing some scrolling of the conversations we had off the TL. Steve was one of the very few guys from this app, I could really talk football with. Not just on the field stuff, but all the things surrounding the game. Because,
— FOST (@GeorgeFoster72) August 31, 2022

Steve White's Life and Career

In the 1996 NFL draft's sixth round, White was luckily selected by Philadelphia Eagles and played with the team.

After staying with them until the offseason, he scored a spot in the Buccaneers.

Before White's death, he famously appeared in 79 games with the Bucs for six seasons. The team referred to it as one of the NFL's best defenses.

His chance with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers helped him score 119 tackles and 11 sacks during the regular season.

However, he was not with the Bucs until the end. He ended his stint as an NFL player in 2002 with New York Jets.

Steve White's death came months after another Bucs player, wide receiver Vincent Jackson, was found dead in his hotel room. In February, the then-38-year-old reportedly passed away due to "chronic alcohol use."

The 10-page medical examiner's findings disclosed that the athlete damaged several organs - including his heart, liver, and kidneys - due to his consistent chronic alcohol problems.

Heartbreakingly, he was diagnosed with stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) six days before he succumbed. The degenerative brain disease is commonly found in people who suffer repeated blows to the head.