Playing with a heavy heart, Devin White comes up big for Bucs in Germany

Just hours before he was supposed to board a plane for Munich with his teammates, Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White found out that his father, Carlos Thomas, had died at the age of 45.

White made the decision to travel to Germany for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, playing with a heavy heart as he mourned his dad.

A captain of Tampa Bay’s defense, White helped set the tone for a dominant first half that didn’t see the Seahawks manage a single point. They didn’t fare much better in the third quarter, notching only a field goal as the Bucs headed to the fourth quarter with a 21-3 lead.

A pair of late touchdowns squeezed Tampa Bay’s lead to 21-16, but White once again came up with a clutch play in the fourth quarter to halt a Seattle scoring drive. White’s second sack of the game also jarred the ball loose from Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, giving the Tampa Bay defense their first takeaway in six games, and swinging momentum back in the Bucs’ favor at a critical moment in the game.

After the game, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles gave White the game ball, acknowledging the heart it took to deliver such a performance under such difficult personal circumstances:

This was a special one. 🏈🙏@progressive | #GoBucs pic.twitter.com/gFlVroK2tQ

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) November 13, 2022

White said he did his best to channel his emotions in a positive direction, and celebrated his first sack with a nod to his dad:

Bucs LB Devin White said “it was very hard to play” Sunday after learning his dad had died Thursday just hours before he had to get on the plane to Germany. pic.twitter.com/fqK4NK6eo0

— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) November 13, 2022

Bowles couldn’t say enough good things about White after the game:

"To lose your dad right before you're getting ready to go to Germany, and to come out and still play, it says a lot about the guy."

Your Bucs family is here for you, @DevinWhite__40! ♥️ pic.twitter.com/eEQfJo7MlZ

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) November 13, 2022

White finished the game with a team-high nine tackles, including the two sacks, and the clutch forced fumble, a performance his dad would certainly be proud of.