By Monique O. Madan and David J. Neal
Miami Herald
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A veteran captain with the Miami-Dade Police Department, a husband and a father of two was killed Sunday afternoon in a car crash, the Broward Sheriff’s Office announced.
Tyrone White, Sr., 59, father of Tyrone White Jr. and New England Patriots running back James White, died 1 p.m. in the 11800 block of Griffin Road in Cooper City,
His wife, Lisa, who was also in the car, is in critical condition, BSO said. The third person in the crash, which the sheriff’s office said left one car flipped over and the other on fire, was treated at the scene. The crash is under investigation.
“I’m extremely saddened after learning of the passing of MDPD Captain Tyrone White earlier today as a result of an off-duty traffic crash in Broward County,” MDPD Director Alfredo Ramirez posted on Twitter on Sunday night. “ I offered his family my deepest condolences on behalf of his MDPD family. May he rest in eternal peace. Thank you for your service Capt. White.”
James White, who has the most receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches of any NFL running back since 2015, was made inactive (not dressed in uniform) for Sunday night’s game against Seattle after news of the tragedy reached him. Before the game, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, a teammate of White’s at the University of Wisconsin, tweeted at him: “Praying for you bro.”
A piece of James White’s Patriots’ media guide entry is devoted to Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard’s appreciation of Tyrone Sr. and Lisa White. Tragedy and family financial losses would have had Bernard, a classmate and teammate of James White at Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas High School, living in a car. But, with space in their home because Tyrone Sr. was at college, the Whites had Bernard stay with them during his senior year.
Monday, Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores said, “(James White’s) father’s an incredible person who did a lot for a lot of young people in South Florida. James, Gio Bernard. It’s a big loss. ... We’re a football family. We’re praying for his mom right now.”
James White was a fourth round pick of New England in 2014, and leaped to NFL prominence in Super Bowl 51 at the end of the 2016 season.
In the Patriots’ comeback from a 28-3, third-quarter deficit to a 34-28 overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons, White scored the first touchdown in the comeback; a two-point conversion after New England’s next touchdown that kept the comeback alive; the touchdown that, with another New England two-point conversion, sent the game into overtime; and the game-winning touchdown in overtime.
Though New England superstar quarterback Tom Brady got the game’s Most Valuable Player award, nobody would have complained had it gone to White. He set Super Bowl records for most catches (14) and most points scored (20) in a game.
Brady, now with Tampa Bay, tweeted his condolences Sunday night: “ There are few people that come into your life that do EVERYTHING the right way...James is one of them. Kind, gentle, loving, fiercely competitive and hardworking. His parents raised an amazing son.”
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