White, Memphis native, EX-NFL player, dies at 48

Steve White, a native of Memphis who played football for the University of Tennessee and later spent seven seasons in the NFL as a defensive lineman, died Tuesday. He was 48.

The former Westwood High star — who went on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets — posted on Twitter in April that he had been battling chronic lymphocytic leukemia for eight years and would soon be checking into the Moffitt Cancer Center for a bone marrow transplant.

Friends, fans, colleagues and former teammates took to Twitter to pay tribute to White, who later worked as a writer for SB Nation beginning in 2013.

“#RIP to my road game roommate @sgw94. My condolences go out to his wife, children, family and friends. The memories, the fun, the conversations will never be forgotten,” former Buccaneers defensive lineman Tyoka Jackson tweeted Tuesday.

“Just heard my former teammate @sgw94 passed away. Condolences to his family and loved ones. Always had (an) encouraging word for me when I was a young player with the @Buccaneers,” former Tampa Bay quarterback Shaun King posted on Twitter.

White played for the Vols from 199295. White, a sixth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1996, played in 94 games in the NFL, registering 119 career tackles and 11.5 sacks. In a 1999 NFC Divisional playoff win over Washington, he collected seven tackles, two sacks and forced one fumble. His NFL career came to an end in 2002.

White also worked for one season as an assistant coach under Jim Leavitt at the University of South Florida.