Reggie White

Reginald Howard "Reggie" White (December 19, 1961 – December 26, 2004) was a professional American football player who has been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. During his professional career, he became famous not only for his outstanding play as a defensive end, but also for his Christian ministry; he was an ordained Evangelical minister. This led to his nickname, "the Minister of Defense."

White was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He attended Howard School of Academics and Technology^[1] during high school, and from there was recruited to play for the Tennessee. As a professional player, he played with both USFL and NFL teams.

He was married to the former Sara Copeland, with whom he had two children, Jeremy and Jecolia.

College career

White played college football at Tennessee, where he set school records for most sacks in a career, season and game. He still holds these records. While playing for the Volunteers, White was named an All-American.

Professional career

USFL

Memphis Showboats

After college, White signed with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL. He played for Memphis for two seasons, starting in 36 games. As a Showboat, he racked up 23.5 sacks, 192 tackles, and seven forced fumbles.

NFL

Philadelphia Eagles

When the USFL collapsed, White had proven himself good enough to be desired by NFL teams. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles, who held his NFL rights. He played with the Eagles for eight seasons, during which time he 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). White also became the only player to ever accumulate twenty or more sacks in just twelve games. He also set an NFL regular-season record during 1987 by averaging the most sacks per game, with 1.75 sacks per game. Over the course of his tenure with the Eagles, White actually accumulated more sacks than the number of games that he played. He was voted by ESPN Sportsnation as the greatest player in Eagles' franchise history. ^[2]

Green Bay Packers

In 1993, White became a free agent. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers, where he played for six seasons. While not quite as prolific as in his years with the Eagles, White still notched up another 68.5 sacks, to become the Packers' all-time leader in that category, although he was overtaken in 2007 by Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila. White was also just as valued for his role as a team leader. He helped the Packers to two Super Bowls, including a victory in Super Bowl XXXI. That victory was the only championship White ever shared in at any level. In 1998, White was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Carolina Panthers

In 2000, he came out of a 1-year retirement and started all 16 games for the Panthers. White had 6 sacks and 1 forced fumble while with the team. He again retired at the end of the 2002 season.

Retirements

After the 1998 season, White retired from professional football. However, in 2000, White was wooed back to the league by the Carolina Panthers. He played for one season as a Panther, then retired again.

At the time of his retirement, White was the NFL's all-time sacks leader with 198. (He has since been surpassed by Bruce Smith who has 200.) White also recorded three interceptions, which he returned for 79 yards. He recovered nineteen fumbles, which he returned for 137 yards and three touchdowns. His nine consecutive seasons (1985–1993) with at least ten sacks remain an NFL record. He was named an All-Pro for thirteen of his fifteen seasons, including eight as a first-team selection.

Religious activities

In White's last year of football, a friend reportedly gave White a teaching CD from Messianic teacher Monte Judah. Following his retirement, White began studying Torah and Torah-observant Messianic theology. White also studied Hebrew under Nehemia Gordon. In October 2003, White was interviewed by Messianic teacher and televangelist Michael Rood, and he discussed his studies of Torah. The interview was broadcast on February 4 and 6, 2005, on the Sky Angel cable channel. Following White's death, the January 2005 edition of Messianic magazine Yavoh was dedicated to him as a "Messianic Believer," leading to confusion regarding White's religious beliefs. Some reported—incorrectly—that White had abandoned Christianity and was studying Judaism. This may have arisen because some Christians consider Messianic theology to be a form of Judaism because it holds obedience to the Torah is an expression of one's faith, and it is frequently referred to as "Messianic Judaism."

White was touched by the African American church arson scares during the mid-1990s. The Inner City Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, where White was an associate minister, burned to the ground in 1996.

Controversy

White's retirement was not without controversy. He created a stir in March 1998 with his comments before the Wisconsin state legislature, invoking racial stereotypes of Latinos, Asians, whites, blacks, and Native Americans, explaining that all were made in God's image.

Later, in an interview with ABC's 20/20, White made remarks—consistent with his understanding of Biblical doctrine—about gays and lesbians. Subsequently, White became an ally of organizations opposed to homosexuality; he appeared in a newspaper advertising campaign to convince gays and lesbians that they could "cease" their homosexuality. As a result, CBS withdrew a five-year, $6 million contract for being a part of the pregame panel because of his statements calling homosexuality a sin.^[3][4] Both the Green Bay Packers and the NFL objected to the ads, since White had appeared in his football uniform without the consent of the team or the league. Later versions of the ad removed the uniform.

Death

On the morning of December 26, 2004, White was rushed from his home in Cornelius, North Carolina, to a nearby hospital in Huntersville, North Carolina, where he was pronounced dead. White had suffered a fatal cardiac arrhythmia. The most likely cause of this, according to the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's Office, was the cardiac and pulmonary sarcoidosis that he had lived with for years.^[5][6] It was also stated that sleep apnea, which White was known to suffer from^[7] may have contributed to his death.^[8] His grave site is situated at Glenwood Memorial Park, Mooresville, North Carolina.

Accolades

Jersey number retirements

During the 2005 season, three teams retired White's number 92 jersey.

The University of Tennessee retired White's jersey at a halftime presentation on October 1, 2005 during their game against the University of Mississippi, the third such retirement in the modern era of football at the school; a commemorative sign was also unveiled in the south end of Neyland Stadium. On December 5, 2005, the Philadelphia Eagles retired his jersey in a halftime ceremony during the Eagles' Monday Night Football game with the Seattle Seahawks, who were coached by Mike Holmgren, White's former coach in Green Bay.

White's number was retired by the Packers in 2005

But the most significant of these retirement honors took place at Green Bay. Prior to the retirement of White's Packer jersey, despite having won more NFL championships than any other team, the Packers had retired only four jerseys. (Other teams with half as many championships have retired ten or more jerseys.) (Pittsburgh Steelers with 5 NFL Championships have only 1 players' number retired, Ernie Stautner) During a halftime presentation at Lambeau Field on September 18, 2005, White became the fifth Green Bay Packer to have his number retired by the franchise. The Packers also wore a helmet decal honoring White for the remaining games in the season.

Hall of Fame

White was elected to the Professional Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot on February 4, 2006. He was enshrined at a ceremony on August 5, 2006 in Canton Ohio. White's widow, Sara White, delivered her husband's acceptance speech at the ceremony. She was introduced by their son, Jeremy White, who also released the first copies of his autobiography, In His Shadow: Growing Up With Reggie White, during the Hall of Fame weekend in honor of his father. Jeremy thanked the "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" in his introduction, echoing Reggie White's dedication to his faith and the evolution of White's beliefs from simple Baptist minister to a Hebraic roots believer.

References

External links

• Packers.com: Reggie White
• Teammates, Friends Shocked by Reggie White's Death
• Transcript of Reggie White Pro Football Hall of Fame speeches
• Reggie White Foundation's Crescent Rising Program
• Reggie White Gravesite