LAS VEGAS -- Devin White 's internal battle was just as challenging as the one he faced on the gridiron.

White was in a bad spot mentally during the tail end of his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , he said. Between his father, Carlos Thomas, passing away while being incarcerated in November 2022, and dealing with a lingering foot injury, White was unsure if he still cared about football.

"A lot was going through my head...I was out of it," the 27-year-old linebacker recalled. "And my mama [ Coesha Standokes ] told me if you don't want to do it, you don't have to. [ I've ] overcome a lot just where we come from going [ Division I ] , graduating, making money, taking care of my whole family [ and ] doing everything I wanted in life. And she was like, "You can give u

See Full Page