Athletes - Reggie White

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	Athletes - Reggie White

Reginald Howard "Reggie" White (December 19, 1961 – December 26, 2004), nicknamed the "Minister of Defense" — a dual reference to his football prowess and to his Evangelical Christian ordination — was one of football's most prolific sackers in college, the USFL and the NFL.

Career

Reggie White was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. He played football at the University of Tennessee, setting school records for most sacks in a career, season and game, records he still holds. After college, White signed on with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL, playing with them for two seasons, racking up 23.5 sacks, 192 tackles and seven forced fumbles in 36 starts.

After the USFL folded, Reggie White moved to the NFL, and he was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles. He played with the Eagles for eight seasons, picking up 124 sacks and becoming the Eagles' all-time sack leader. He also set a then-record regular season record with 21 sacks in 1987. He also became the only player to ever accumulate 20 or more sacks in just 12 games. He also set a regular season record that season, averaging the most sacks per game in the regular season, in NFL history, with an amazing 1.75 sacks per game.

In 1993, White went to the Green Bay Packers, where he played for six more seasons. While not as prolific as his previous years, White still notched up another 68.5 sacks, becoming the Packers' all-time leader in that category. He also helped the Packers to two Super Bowls, including a victory in Super Bowl XXXI. White was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1998.

Retirement

White suffered from fatigue, lung inflammation, shortness of breath and back pain in 1997, when he was diagnosed with a systemic inflammatory disease called sarcoidosis. He was treated and told that sarcoidosis goes away in some patients.

Following the 1998 season, White announced his retirement, but in 1999 he said he spoke to God and was told to "fulfill his commitment", and thereafter signed with the Carolina Panthers for the 2000 season. However, his performance was below par, and he amassed just 15 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Following the season, White again retired.

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 was also caught in the middle of the arson scares at predominantly African American churches during the mid-1990s. The Inner City Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, a church where White was an associate minister, was burned to the ground in 1996. However, an outpouring of financial support, in part because of White's celebrity, helped to rebuild the church.

He was married to the former Sara Copeland and had two children, Jeremy and Jecolia. It was discovered that he was related to college football player Kevin Rollins when he arrived at one of his games. Rollins went on to play for the Miami Dolphins but broke his hand playing in Amsterdam.

Death

On the morning of December 26, 2004, White died suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 43. He 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 caused by the sarcoidosis he had lived with for years. The Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's Office ruled that White died from cardiac and pulmonary sarcoidosis.

During the 2005 season, three teams retired White's number 92 jersey. During a halftime presentation at Lambeau Field on September 18, 2005, White became only the fifth Green Bay Packer to have his number retired by the storied franchise. The Packers also wore a helmet decal honoring White for all remaining games in the 2005 season. The University of Tennessee retired White's jersey at a halftime presentation on October 1, 2005 during their game against the University of Mississippi, only 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. Finally, 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.

Controversy

White's retirement was not without controversy. He created a stir in March of 1998 with before the Wisconsin state legislature that invoked positive racial stereotypes of Latinos, Asians, whites, blacks, and Native Americans, explaining that all were made in God's image. Consistent with his understanding of Biblical doctrine and his religious beliefs, he made about gays and lesbians, and subsequently became an of organizations opposed to homosexuality, appearing in a newspaper advertising campaign to convince gays and lesbians that they could cease their homosexuality. Gay human rights organizations opposed his remarks but defended his right to speak out. In addition, 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.

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Athletes - Reggie White

Career

Retirement

Death

Controversy

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