NFL rallies around mourning Patriot
White’s father was killed in car wreck
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots running back James White says he is having trouble processing the sudden death of his father, but is finding comfort in celebrating his son’s first birthday.
In an Instagram message Tuesday, White posted side by side photos of himself as a child sitting on the lap of his father, Tyrone, and another of White holding his 1-year-old son, Xzavier.
“Happy 1st birthday Xzavier! I hope I can be as good of a father to you as my father was to my brother and I!” White wrote. “I still can’t quite process everything that’s going on right now but when I look at you, you give me life! May you Rest In Peace, Dad. We miss you much already.”
Tyrone White, 59, was killed Sunday when the car occupied by him and wife Lisa collided with another vehicle in Cooper City, Florida, authorities said. White, who was a captain in the Miami-Dade Police Department, was pronounced dead at the scene. Lisa White remains hospitalized.
James White found out about the crash prior to the Patriots’
matchup at Seattle on Sunday night and was inactive for the game.
In the days since, his teammates and scores of players and coaches around the NFL have voiced condolences for White both publicly and on social media.
The list included Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, a teammate of White’s at Wisconsin, who began his postgame interview after Seattle’s win on Sunday by sending his well wishes.
“My heart’s been heavy all day thinking about him,” Wilson said. “This year’s been a tough year as a whole and a lot of people that we know (are impacted) and people just going through so much. But James, I’m praying for you man.”
A soft-spoken presence in New England’s locker room, White is best known for scoring three touchdowns, including the gamewinner in the Patriots’ comeback Super Bowl win over Atlanta in the 2016 season. He is one of the most-respected players on the roster, evidenced in him being named a team captain each of past three seasons.
“There are few people that come into your life that do EVERYTHING the right way. James is one of them,” Tampa Bay quarterback and former teammate Tom Brady wrote in an Twitter post. “Kind, gentle, loving, fiercely competitive and hardworking. His parents raised an amazing son. ”
MASK FINES: The Associated Press, citing an unnamed source, reported Tuesday that coaches Jon Gruden of the Raiders and Sean Payton of the Saints were each fined $100,000 for not wearing masks on the sideline on Monday night. The report said the teams involved were also fined $250,000 for the infractions. The league already handed out similar punishments to Denver’s Vic Fangio, San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan and Seattle’s Pete Carroll, the person said.
Gruden apologized after the game for failing to wear his mask and also acknowledged for the first time that he had the coronavirus during the offseason.
“It wasn’t pleasant,” Gruden said Tuesday.
Payton also had the coronavirus this offseason.
The punishments come a week after the NFL warned all 32 teams in a memo about following the rules for wearing face coverings during the coronavirus pandemic lest they put the NFL season at risk.
League rules require coaches to wear coverings over their mouths and noses at all times. Players are exempt from these protocols.
POWER RANKINGS: Kansas City and Baltimore, both off to 2-0 starts heading into their meeting Monday night, kept the top two spots in this week’s AP Pro32 poll.
The Chiefs received seven of 12 first-place votes for 379 points in balloting Tuesday by media members who regularly cover the NFL. The Ravens got the other five firstplace votes for 376 points.
The Seattle Seahawks moved up a spot to No. 3 after holding on for a 35-30 victory over the New England Patriots. The Green Bay Packers also inched up one place to No. 4 after handling the Detroit Lions 42-21.
GIANTS: Devonta Freeman is expected to sign with New York and the veteran running back could practice with the team as early as Wednesday, the New York Daily News reports. Saquon Barkley’s seasonending torn right ACL prompted the Giants to bring in the free agent Freeman, 28, for a visit and workout on Tuesday.