Reginald Howard White (December 19, 1961 – December 26, 2004) was an American professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
who played in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) for 15 seasons. White played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Tennessee Volunteers
The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the 20 male and female varsity intercollegiate athletics programs that represent the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers compete in Division I of the National Colleg ...
, earning
unanimous All-American honors. After playing two seasons for the
Memphis Showboats
The Memphis Showboats were an American football franchise in the United States Football League. They entered the league in its expansion in 1984 and made the 1985 playoffs, losing in the semifinal round to the Oakland Invaders. Perhaps the ...
of the
United States Football League
The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...
(USFL), he was selected in the first round of the
1984 NFL Supplemental Draft, and then played for the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
, the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
and the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
, becoming one of the most awarded defensive players in NFL history.
The two-time
NFL Defensive Player of the Year,
Super Bowl XXXI
Super Bowl XXXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
champion, 13-time
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
, and 13-time
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
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
The National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team was voted on by a panel consisting of media members, former players and league personnel in 2019 to honor the greatest players of the first 100 years of the National Football League (NFL ...
,
NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
The NFL 1990s All-Decade Team was chosen by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The team was composed of outstanding performers in the National Football League in the 1990s.
The squad consists of first- and second-team offensive, defensive a ...
, and the
NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
The NFL 1980s All-Decade Team was chosen by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The team was composed of outstanding performers in the National Football League in the 1980s. The squad consists of first- and second-team offensive, defensive and ...
. 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
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...
minister, leading to his nickname, "the Minister of Defense". White is a member of the
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
and the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
.
Early life
White was born and raised in
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is 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
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
. 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
The ''Knoxville News Sentinel'', also known as ''Knox News'', is a daily newspaper in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Gannett Company.
History
The newspaper was formed in 1926 from the merger of two competing newspapers: '' ...
''.
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
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
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
A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
Georgia Tech
The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...
.
[1981 Squad]
", ''1981 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide'' (University of Tennessee, 1981), pp. 54–55. 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
Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
, against
Memphis State, and was named the team's "outstanding defensive player" for the game.
[1982 Squad]
", ''1982 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide'' (University of Tennessee, 1982), p. 58. 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
United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ce ...
.
White had eight tackles in Tennessee's 28–21 victory over
Wisconsin
Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
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''.
[1981 Honorees]
", ''1982 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide'' (University of Tennessee, 1982), p. 94.
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
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
, in which he registered eight tackles, including a sack and a fourth-down stop.
[1983 Squad]
", ''1983 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide'' (University of Tennessee, 1983), p. 59. He had eight tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble in Tennessee's 28–22 loss to
Iowa
Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
in the 1982
Peach Bowl
The Peach Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played annually in Atlanta, Georgia, since December 30, 1968.
The first three Peach Bowls were played at Bobby Dodd Stadium, Grant Field on the Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Tech c ...
.
Determined to improve upon what he considered a disappointing junior campaign,
[Tim Hix,]
Vol Profile: Reggie White
, ''1983 Tennessee Volunteers Football Guide'' (University of Tennessee, 1983), pp. 47–48. 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
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
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.
[Tim Hix,]
Reggie White: Minister of Defense
", ''Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech Football Program'' (University of Tennessee, 1983), pp. 47–48. Reggie had two sacks in Tennessee's 31–6 win over
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
, and a school single-game record four sacks in the Vols' blowout win over
The Citadel
The Citadel Military College of South Carolina (simply known as The Citadel) is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Established in 1842, it is the third oldest of the six senior military colleges ...
. 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
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
quarterback Walter Lewis in Tennessee's 41–34 win over the Tide.
In Tennessee's 30–23 win over
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
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
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
, SEC Player of the Year, and a
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is an award for college football in the United States. Awarded by the Rotary Club of Houston, Texas annually to the college football player "who best embodies the values and spirit of NFL's legendary coach Vince Lombard ...
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
Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
.
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
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
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
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
. His transaction started a new era in the NFL of player-requested free agency. He was signed by the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
and agreed to a 4-year/$17 million. 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
William Clay Matthews III (born May 14, 1986), primarily known as Clay Matthews, is an American former professional American football, football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). The six-time Pro Bowl selection a ...
and
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila). White was also just as valued for his role as a team leader. He helped the Packers win
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
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 sacks 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 221.5 sacks in professional football, making him professional football's all-time sacks leader. White also recorded three
interception
In Ball game, ball-playing Competitive sport, competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for ...
s, which he returned for 79
yard
The yard (symbol: yd) is an English units, English unit of length in both the British imperial units, imperial and US United States customary units, customary systems of measurement equalling 3 foot (unit), feet or 36 inches. Sinc ...
s. He recovered 20 fumbles, which he returned for 137 yards and three
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
s. His nine consecutive seasons (1985–1993) with at least 10 sacks remain an NFL record. He was named an
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
for 13 of his 15 seasons, including eight as a first-team selection. Reggie White is considered by many to be one of the best defensive players in NFL history.
Professional wrestling
White appeared on screen at two professional wrestling events, wrestling one match. In April 1995, he was ringside as part of
Lawrence Taylor's "All-Stars" for his match against
Bam Bam Bigelow
Scott Charles Bigelow (September 1, 1961 – January 19, 2007) was an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Bam Bam Bigelow. Recognizable by his close-to-400-pound frame and the distinctive flame tattoo that spanned mo ...
at
WrestleMania XI. During the show, he participated in one backstage segment with the All-Stars, calling out
The Million Dollar Corporation member
King Kong Bundy. Before and during the actual match, the All-Stars and the Million Dollar Corporation were involved in a scuffle, in which White participated.
On May 18, 1997, White
wrestled his only professional wrestling match for
WCW at
Slamboree
Slamboree was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) List of NWA/WCW closed-circuit events and pay-per-view events, event from World Championship Wrestling (WCW) held from 1993 through 2000. It was originally billed as "A Legends' Reunion" b ...
. He wrestled fellow NFL (and LT's All-Star teammate) alumnus
Steve McMichael
Stephen Douglas McMichael (October 17, 1957 – April 23, 2025), nicknamed "Mongo", "Ming", and "Ming the Merciless", was an American professional football player and professional wrestler. He was a defensive tackle for 15 seasons in the Natio ...
. The two men emulated football tackles during their bout. White received a warm response from the professional wrestling crowd in
Charlotte,
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
, but nonetheless lost to McMichael after being hit with a steel
Zero Halliburton briefcase secretly given to McMichael by his
Four Horsemen teammate,
Jeff Jarrett
Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and professional wrestling promoter. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he both wrestles and serves as Director of Business Development. He is also ...
.
Christian ministry and controversies
White himself was a strong Christian and was open about his faith. He became involved with the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is an international nonprofit Christian sports ministry based in Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas City.
History
FCA was founded in 1954 by Eastern Oklahoma State College, Eastern Oklahoma A&M basketball c ...
while at the University of Tennessee, and expressed an interest in becoming an evangelist as early as his sophomore year in 1981.
He became an ordained Baptist minister during this period.
He had acquired the nickname "Minister of Defense" by the time he was a senior.
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 the
Torah (first five books of the Bible) and Torah-observant Messianic theology. White also studied Hebrew under Nehemia Gordon. In October 2003, White was interviewed by
Messianic teacher and
televangelist
Televangelism (from ''televangelist'', a blend of ''television'' and ''evangelist'') and occasionally termed radio evangelism or teleministry, denotes the utilization of media platforms, notably radio and television, for the marketing of relig ...
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. White went on to co-produce Rood's half-hour "A Rood Awakening From Israel" TV programs. 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.
White was touched by the
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
church
arson
Arson is the act of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, watercr ...
scares during the mid-1990s. The Inner City Church in
Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...
, where White was an associate minister, was burned to the ground in 1996. More than $912,000 was collected to rebuild it, including $250,000 in small donations from Wisconsin fans, but the structure was never rebuilt and the congregation was dissolved. No explanation or accounting was ever offered and his reputation suffered. ("Where Did The Money Go?" The Green Bay News-Chronicle, December 8, 2000).
Also in 1996 he starred with
Pat Morita in ''Reggie's Prayer'', a
Christian film. He played protagonist Reggie Knox, a football player who retires after the 1996 season to become a 10th grade history teacher and head coach of a high school football team in
Portland, Oregon
Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
. The film also had appearances by his Packers teammates
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 cons ...
and
Mike Holmgren
Michael George Holmgren (born June 15, 1948) is an American former American football, football coach and executive in the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL career as a quarterbacks' coach and later as an offensive coordinator wit ...
as janitors, and
Keith Jackson
Keith Max Jackson (October 18, 1928 – January 12, 2018) was an American sports commentator, journalist, author, and radio personality, known for his career with ABC Sports (1966–2006). While he covered a variety of sports over his caree ...
as an assistant coach.
M.C. Hammer plays a park ranger.
In an interview with
ABC's ''
20/20'', White made comments about
gays and lesbians. White became an ally of organizations opposed to
homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...
; he appeared in a newspaper advertising campaign to convince gays and lesbians that they could "cease," or end, their homosexuality. As a result,
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
withdrew a 5-year, $6-million contract for being a part of ''
The NFL Today'' because of his statements calling homosexuality a sin. 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.
On March 25, 1998, White was invited to address the
Wisconsin Legislature
The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republ ...
and, in an infamous speech, stunned the assembly by reiterating his belief that homosexuality was sinful and a "decision," while also using racial tropes to stress why God made different races. He said that blacks are gifted at worship and celebration, Japanese and other Asians "can turn a TV into a watch," Hispanics are gifted at the "family structure" and "can put 20, 30 people into one home," Indians are gifted in spirituality, and "you guys (meaning the predominately white legislature) do a good job of building businesses and things of that nature, and you know how to tap into money." On April 2 he faxed the ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' asking for forgiveness, but in 2000, shortly after signing with the Carolina Panthers, he reversed himself by saying "I wouldn’t change anything" about the speech.
Death and legacy
On the morning of December 26, 2004, White was rushed from his home in
Cornelius, North Carolina
Cornelius is a suburban town located along Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. It is a major suburb of Charlotte and part of its metropolitan area. The population was 31,412 at the 2020 census, up from 24, ...
, to a nearby hospital in
Huntersville, North Carolina
Huntersville is a large suburban town in northern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Mecklenburg County () is a County (United States), county located in the southwestern region of the U.S. state of North Carolina, in the United States. As o ...
, where he was pronounced dead. It was later identified that the cause of his death was due to
arrhythmia
Arrhythmias, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, are irregularities in the cardiac cycle, heartbeat, including when it is too fast or too slow. Essentially, this is anything but normal sinus rhythm. A resting heart rate that is too fast – ab ...
. According to the
Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's Office, the most likely cause of the arrhythmia was cardiac and pulmonary
sarcoidosis
Sarcoidosis (; also known as Besnier–Boeck–Schaumann disease) is a disease involving abnormal collections of White blood cell, inflammatory cells that form lumps known as granulomata. The disease usually begins in the lungs, skin, or lymph n ...
, which White had lived with for years. It was also stated that
sleep apnea
Sleep apnea (sleep apnoea or sleep apnœa in British English) is a sleep-related breathing disorder in which repetitive Apnea, pauses in breathing, periods of shallow breathing, or collapse of the upper airway during sleep results in poor vent ...
, with which White had been diagnosed, may have contributed to his death.
White's widow, Sara, in conjunction with the Sleep Wellness Institute, founded the Reggie White Sleep Disorders Research and Education Foundation, dedicated to all people having access to treatment for sleep disorders, regardless of their socio-economic status.
"Crescent Rising" is another program of the Reggie White Foundation, begun in May 2007, that offers free demolition services to homeowners in the metropolitan
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
area affected by
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
. The Crescent Rising program was created to expedite demolition through the encouragement of private sector involvement in order to speed the recovery of the community from hurricane damage. The foundation demolished its first home in June 2007.
Honors
Jersey number retirements

During the 2005 season, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Green Bay Packers, and the University of Tennessee
retired White's number 92 jersey.
The
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...
retired White's
jersey
Jersey ( ; ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey, is an autonomous and self-governing island territory of the British Islands. Although as a British Crown Dependency it is not a sovereign state, it has its own distinguishing civil and gov ...
at a halftime presentation on October 1, 2005, during a game against
Ole Miss
OLE, Ole or Olé may refer to:
* Olé, a cheering expression used in Spain
* Ole (name), a male given name, includes a list of people named Ole
* Overhead lines equipment, used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains
Co ...
, the 3rd of such retirement in the modern era of football at the school; a commemorative sign was also unveiled in the south end of
Neyland Stadium
Neyland Stadium ( ) is a sports stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. It serves primarily as the home of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, but is also used to host large conventions and has been a site for several National Footba ...
. During a
halftime
In several team sports, matches are played in two halves. Half-time (also written halftime or half time) is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match. Typically, after half-time, teams swap ends of the field of play in or ...
presentation at
Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field () is an outdoor athletic stadium in the East North Central states, north central United States, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The home field of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL), it opened in 1957 Green ...
on September 18, 2005, White became the 5th Green Bay Packer to have his number retired by the franchise. On December 5, 2005, the Philadelphia Eagles retired his jersey in a halftime ceremony during the Eagles' ''
Monday Night Football
''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...
'' game against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
, which were coached by Mike Holmgren, White's former coach in Green Bay. White became the first and only player (as of January 2025) in NFL history to have his number officially retired by multiple teams. The Packers and the Eagles also wore a
helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protecti ...
decal honoring White for the remaining games in the season.
Hall of Fame election
White was posthumously elected to the
Professional Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players ...
on his first ballot on February 4, 2006. He was enshrined at a ceremony on August 5, 2006, in
Canton, OH. Reggie's wife and now widow, Sara White, delivered her husband's acceptance speech at the ceremony. She was introduced by their son, Jeremy White.
White was elected to the
Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
The Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame honors distinguished members of Wisconsin's sports history. The Hall of Fame hosts several annual events, including an induction ceremony to honor new members, nomination luncheons, speaker series breakfasts an ...
in 2005, and the
Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. He was inducted into the
Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame is a team-specific hall of fame honoring players, coaches, executives and other contributors to the history and success of the Green Bay Packers, an American football team in the National Football League (NFL). ...
in 2006.
Named streets
The official sign-hanging for Reggie White Boulevard took place in 2008, at the intersection of 20th and Carter Street in
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...
.
Reggie White Way in Green Bay, Wisconsin, is off Lombardi Avenue near Lambeau Field.
See also
*
List of athletes who came out of retirement
In most cases, when a professional athlete announces retirement, he or she retires and then never returns to playing professional sports; however, in rare instances there are some athletes who came out of retirement. The following list shows su ...
*
List of gridiron football players who became professional wrestlers
Notes
References
External links
*
*
Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame profileTennessee Volunteers profile*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:White, Reggie
1961 births
2004 deaths
20th-century Baptist ministers from the United States
African-American Baptist ministers
All-American college football players
American football defensive ends
American football defensive tackles
American male professional wrestlers
Baptists from North Carolina
Baptists from Tennessee
Carolina Panthers players
College Football Hall of Fame inductees
Green Bay Packers players
Leaders of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Memphis Showboats players
National Conference Pro Bowl players
NFL Defensive Player of the Year winners
NFL players with retired numbers
People from Cornelius, North Carolina
Philadelphia Eagles players
Players of American football from Knoxville, Tennessee
Players of American football from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
Players of American football from Chattanooga, Tennessee
Professional wrestlers from Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football players
Deaths from sarcoidosis
Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame