Reggie White

Reginald Howard White (December 19, 1961 – December 26, 2004) was an American professional football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. White played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, earning unanimous All-American honors. After playing two seasons for the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League (USFL), he was selected in the first round of the 1984 NFL Supplemental Draft, and then played for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Green Bay Packers and the Carolina Panthers, becoming one of the most awarded defensive players in NFL history.

The two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Super Bowl XXXI champion, 13-time Pro Bowl, and 13-time All-Pro selection holds second place all-time among NFL career sack leaders with 198. He was selected to the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, NFL 1990s All-Decade Team, and the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team. During his professional career, White is credited with pioneering free agency in sports. Outside of football he was also known for his Christian ministry as an ordained evangelical minister, leading to his nickname, "the Minister of Defense". White is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Early life

White was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He was raised by his mother until age eight when he was placed with his grandmother, Mildred Dodd. He played high school football at Howard High School under Coach Robert Pulliam, a former defensive lineman at Tennessee. During his senior year with the Hustlin' Tigers, White recorded 140 tackles (88 solo) and 10 sacks, and received All-American honors. He was rated the number one recruit in Tennessee by the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Reggie's mother, Thelma Collier, told Sports Illustrated that when he was 12 years old he announced to his family that he wanted to be two things: a football player and a minister.

College career

White played college football at Tennessee from 1980 to 1983. He had worked hard into the starting lineup by the end of his freshman year, in which he registered 51 tackles (32 solo) and two sacks, recovered two fumbles, and blocked a punt that set up Tennessee's first score in the team's 23–10 win over then-rival Georgia Tech. He was awarded the Andy Spiva Award, given annually to the Vols' most improved defensive player.

As a sophomore during the 1981 season, White registered 95 tackles (61 solo), a team-leading eight sacks, and a team-leading seven tackles-for-loss (of yards). He also blocked three extra-point attempts. He had 10 tackles and two sacks, one of which resulted in a safety, against Memphis State, and was named the team's "outstanding defensive player" for the game. For his performance in Tennessee's 10–7 win over Georgia Tech, which included a late fumble-recovery that sealed the Vols' victory, he was pronounced "Southeast Lineman of the Week" by UPI. White had eight tackles in Tennessee's 28–21 victory over Wisconsin in the 1981 Garden State Bowl, and was named the game's "Best Defensive Player". At the end of the 1981 season, he was named to the Sophomore All-American team by The Football News.

White was named a Preseason All-American going into the 1982 season, but was consistently bothered by an ankle injury, and his production dropped off. While he registered only 47 tackles (36 solo), he nevertheless led the team with seven sacks, and was third only to teammates Mike Cofer and Carlton Peoples in "big plays". His best game of the season came in the Vols' 24–24 tie against LSU, in which he registered eight tackles, including a sack and a fourth-down stop. He had eight tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble in Tennessee's 28–22 loss to Iowa in the 1982 Peach Bowl.

Determined to improve upon what he considered a disappointing junior campaign, White erupted during his senior season in 1983, registering 100 tackles (72 solo), a school single-season record 15 sacks, 9 tackles-for-loss, and an interception. Although Pittsburgh defeated Tennessee 13–3 in the season opener, White consistently kept the Panthers' offense off balance, in spite of being lined up against the Panthers' All-American offensive lineman Bill Fralic. Reggie had two sacks in Tennessee's 31–6 win over New Mexico, and a school single-game record four sacks in the Vols' blowout win over The Citadel. White was named "Southeast Lineman of the Week" for his performance – which included 12 tackles and three sacks – in Tennessee's 20–6 win over LSU, and he twice sacked Alabama quarterback Walter Lewis in Tennessee's 41–34 win over the Tide. In Tennessee's 30–23 win over Maryland in the 1983 Florida Citrus Bowl, White sacked heralded Maryland quarterback Boomer Esiason in the second quarter, knocking him out of the game. White was a consensus All-American, SEC Player of the Year, and a Lombardi Award finalist.

During his tenure at the University of Tennessee, White registered 293 tackles (201 solo), 32 sacks, 19 tackles-for-loss, four fumble recoveries, and seven batted-down passes. His 15 sacks in a season (in 1983) remain a school record. His mark of 32 career sacks remained a school record until it was broken by Derek Barnett in 2016. His school single-game record of four sacks (against The Citadel in 1983) stood until 2013, when Corey Miller had four and a half sacks against Kentucky.

Professional career

Memphis Showboats

After his college football career, White was chosen by the Memphis Showboats in the 1984 USFL Territorial Draft, and the opportunity to play pro football in the same state where he went to college was enough enticement for him to sign. He played for Memphis for 2 seasons, starting in 36 games. As a member of the Showboats, he racked up 23.5 sacks, one safety and one forced fumble recovered for a touchdown.

Philadelphia Eagles

When the USFL collapsed in 1985, White took a salary cut in Philadelphia. The Eagles signed him to a 4-year/$6 million contract (with a $400,000 signing bonus) after buying out the remaining three years on his Memphis contract. White was still considered an unproven entity, but his anonymity did not last long. He joined the Eagles after the 1985 season had begun, missing the first few games. When he finally did start, he made ten tackles and two-and-a-half sacks in his first game. By season's end he had turned in 13 sacks in as many games, and he was named NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year.

He played with the Eagles for eight seasons, he played in 121 games and picked up 124 sacks, becoming the Eagles' all-time sack leader. He also set the Eagles' regular-season record with 21 sacks in a single season (1987, a season shortened to 12 games). The lowest number of sacks he ever recorded in Philadelphia was 11 in 1989. White also became the only player ever to accumulate 20 or more sacks in just 12 games. He set an NFL regular-season record during 1987 by averaging the most sacks per game, with 1.75. Over the course of his tenure with the Eagles, White actually accumulated more sacks than the number of games he played. In 2008, he was voted by ESPN Sportsnation as the greatest player in Eagles' franchise history. In 1991, he set the record for most passes defended in a single season by a defensive lineman with 13, a record that has been since broken by J. J. Watt.

Green Bay Packers

In 1993, White became a free agent. His transaction started a new era in the NFL of player-requested free agency. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers and agreed to a 4-year/$17 million contract. At the time, he was the 3rd highest paid player in the NFL, trailing only John Elway and Dan Marino. Playing for the Packers for six seasons, White picked up another 68.5 sacks to become, at the time, the Packers' all-time leader in that category (third now to Clay Matthews III and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila). White was also just as valued for his role as a team leader. He helped the Packers win Super Bowl XXXI. During the game, White had three sacks to set the single game record for a Super Bowl, including a game-winning sack. That victory was his only championship at any level. In 1998, White was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in his career.

Carolina Panthers

In 2000, White came out of a one-year retirement and started all 16 games for the Carolina Panthers. This was his least performing season, as he had five and a half sacks and one forced fumble while with the team. He again retired at the end of the 2000 season.

NFL career statistics

Retirement

At the time of his retirement, White was the NFL's all-time sack leader with 198. (He has since been surpassed by Bruce Smith, who accumulated 200 in 47 more games played.) Counting his time in the USFL, White has a total of 221.5 sacks, making him professional football's all-time sack leader. White also recorded three interceptions, which he returned for 79 yards. He recovered 20 fumbles, which he returned for 137 yards and two touchdowns. His nine consecutive seasons (1985–1993) with at least 10 sacks remain an NFL record. He was named an All-Pro for 13 of his 15 seasons, including eight as a first-team selection. White is considered by many to be one of the best defensive players in NFL history.