Bigger than Football

Scott Long

9/23/20

Fans tend to forget that athletes are human beings just like they are. They don’t hesitate to yell and scream at them when they make mistakes or deliver hateful direct messages on social media. However, Sunday fans all got a reminder of the human side of athletes when news of James White’s situation broke prior to the New England Patriots home game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Sunday was just a typical game day for White, who like every other Patriots player was preparing for their night game against the Seahawks, when the sad news came in. White’s parents were involved in a car accident on Sunday, and White’s father Tyrone, a member of the Miami police department, was killed in the accident, while his mother, Lisa White remains in critical condition. After hearing the news, the Patriots announced that White would be inactive.

While the game was still played, players across the NFL took to social media to share their thoughts and prayers with White. Ex-teammates Kyle Van Noy, and Tom Brady, as well as stars JJ Watt and Russell Wilson all took to Twitter to share their prayers and love for the Patriots running back during this difficult time. Teammates gave words of support to White after the game, saying that they stand by him, their hearts and prayers go out to him, and he will have all the time he needs to mourn.

Tragedies such as this one shows the much more human side of sports, as everyone feels for White and has him in their thoughts and prayers during difficult times like this. Hopefully some good will come out of this tragedy, and it will unite players and fans alike and remove some of the hate that is involved with sports. After all football is just a game, and situations like this show there are much more important things in this world than the game of football.