Patriots running back James White gets emotional recalling bond with his late father

The text messages would come. Usually the night before a game. And they were special.

James White said he would look forward to seeing what his father Tyrone had to say each and every week.

Only prior to the Chiefs game, there was no good-luck message this time. Just a huge void.

Tyrone White was killed in a car accident two weeks ago. And his son continues to deal with the aftershocks.

The Patriots running back was getting through his interview with the media just fine following the 26-10 loss to the Chiefs, but recalling their pre-game ritual struck a chord.

White couldn’t hold back the emotion thinking about the memory.

“I miss getting the text he’d usually send me on Saturday nights, before games,” White said, choking back tears. “Just simple texts he would send. They would help get me prepared for the games, and stuff. I kind of look back at the last text I got, the Saturday before the Seahawks game. And reminisce on that.

“He meant everything for me,” White went on. “He pushed me … he just always wanted me to do the right thing and push me to be the best I could be”

His father was one of the biggest reasons White decided to play football. Both his father and older brother played football, but Tyrone White also coached his sons.

He helped mold White into one of the best third-down backs in the NFL. On Monday night, in his return to action, White caught seven passes for 38 yards. The Patriots offensive captain also rushed for 21 yards on three carries.

“Obviously, it’s not always fun having your dad be your coach,” said White, “but he pushed me. He made me who I am today.”

After getting the news right before the Seahawks game, White decided to fly home with the team before heading to Florida to be with his mother Lisa, who also suffered injuries in the fatal crash. He returned to Foxboro last week after missing two games. It all still seems so “surreal” to him. He still can’t wrap his head around the loss.

“My mom’s continuing to improve and progress and get better … being out on the football field eased my mind a little bit,” he said. “I’m just trying to push through. That’s what my dad would want me to do. Just trying to take it one day at a time, find a way to look at all the positives in my life.”

He said his teammates, both current and former, have helped get him through a difficult time with calls and texts of encouragement. Patriot fans have also helped with their sympathetic notes.

When he was in Florida with his mother, especially, his football family supported him.

“What’s gotten me through, has been my family,” said White. “I’ve been around my wife, my son, my teammates, they’ve uplifted me. These guys have a family-like atmosphere in this locker room. They gave plenty of calls, plenty of texts every night I was down there in Florida … they were trying to keep my mind at ease, trying to keep as much positive thoughts in my mind as possible.

“I don’t know how long it will take me to push through it all,” he said, “but being in the locker room keeps me at ease.”

White managed to celebrate his son Xavier’s first birthday, not long after losing his father. That was important.

“There was a lot of stuff going on in my mind,” said White. “But I tried to make the little guy’s day as special as possible … I think he enjoyed it.”

After getting back into the football swing, it didn’t help having teammate Cam Newton test positive for COVID-19, and having to deal with all the uncertainty revolving around that. White revealed he and his wife Diana were expecting their second child, so that’s added to his concern level.

“It was definitely difficult. Coming back from Florida and everything, then dealing with a positive test and what not. I have a pregnant wife at home. So, a lot of the stuff goes through my mind when it comes to that, too,” he said. “There’s a lot going on at one time. When you get out there on the field, you just try and focus on your job.

“A lot of things run through your mind out there, especially mine. I was just trying to lock in.”

White’s presence on the field was an inspiration to his teammates.

“I can’t even put it into words,” said second-year back Damien Harris, who rushed for 100 yards. “I’ve looked up to James since I got here last year. Just seeing him out there, just seeing him competing and leading this team the way he did tonight, and the way he does on a daily basis, is truly inspiring.

“With James, it’s just different right now,” Harris went on. “For him to be able to go out there and play and to lead this team the way he did, it’s inspiring. It makes guys want to play harder, it makes guys want to do their job better knowing we’ve got a guy like James White in our locker room … I’m super thankful to have him out there, I’m super thankful to have him as someone to look up to, and someone I can learn from. I can’t say enough good words about him.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3jzzyuB