Patriots: James White posts heartbreaking IG on son’s birthday after father’s death

New England Patriots RB James White posted a tragic Instagram on his son’s first birthday and following his father’s death.

The Patriots played Sunday night’s contest in Seattle with hearts so heavy they were fit to drop, kicking off moments after the team found out that running back James White’s parents had been involved in a tragic car accident.

White’s father was killed, while his mother remained in critical condition, and the running back was forced to bow out of the ensuing action, bearing an impossible burden.

Though the tributes flowed from all corners of the football universe, even from the game’s victor Russell Wilson, White remained away from the field, processing the tragedy. He broke that silence on Tuesday to celebrate a special occasion while properly paying tribute to the man who raised him.

Further gutting us all, it turns out that White’s son’s first birthday was this week, of all weeks.

Understandably, White does not seem quite ready to process the goings on of the past several days, but he has found an outlet in his young son, whose journey has only just begun. The way these two events are now intertwined is heartwrenching, as you can plainly see in White’s caption.

White’s presence was very much felt on the field on Sunday, even though he was forced out of action by tragedy.

The game opened with a bang, as Devin McCourty returned a Russell Wilson interception for a touchdown, seeking out a camera just so he could properly express to White just how much he was loved in that moment.

The ending to this awful story is unfortunately not yet told — White’s mother remains in critical condition in Florida.

Someday, there will be a light at the end of this tragic tunnel for White, one of the most beloved players in the league, across all swaths of that NFL. It will come, in part, from watching his own family grow.

Happy birthday, Xzavier, from all of us. We can’t wait for you to learn more about your grandfather, and the kind of man your dad is.

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