There are few professional teams in any sport that can boast a history as rich as that of the Green Bay Packers. In over 100 years, the Packers have had some of the best players to ever play the game spend some, if not all, of their careers in Green Bay. In his series, we will spotlight the best players to ever don the Green and Gold. This first publishing highlights the career of the Minster of Defense, Reggie White.
College and the USFL
Reggie White played his college ball at the University of Tennessee. During his four years, White totaled 293 tackles and 32 sacks. He also had 19 tackles for loss, seven passes batted down, and four fumble recoveries. His best season, by far, was his senior year in 1983. During that campaign, he had 100 tackles, 15 sacks, nine tackles for loss, and an interception. His monster senior season made him a consensus All American.
Even though White certainly drew interest from NFL teams, he strongly desired to play football close to home. This desire led him to sign with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL in 1984. He played there for two years before the league collapsed. During his short two-year stint, White accumulated 23.5 sacks in 36 games.
The Philadelphia Eagles
After the USFL collapsed, Reggie White was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles. He joined the team after the season started, and missed the first few games. However, once he saw the field, he quickly made a name for himself. He recorded 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks in his first game. By the end of 1985, White had 13 sacks and 100 tackles. He was named the NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year, the first of many honors.
Reggie White played for the Eagles for eight seasons. During that time, he became the Eagles’ all-time sack leader with 124. Amazingly, White had more sacks than games played in Philadelphia: 121 games and 124 sacks. His best season was easily 1987, a season that was limited to 12 games. During the ’87 campaign, White led the NFL with 21.0 sacks. He became the first player in the history of the NFL to record over 20 sacks in just 12 games. He was easily named as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. All told, White was named to seven Pro Bowls and six All Pro teams as an Eagle. When he became a free agent, he was the most coveted name on the market.
The Green Bay Packers
In perhaps the biggest surprise in Packers free agent history, White decided to sign with the small market Packers in 1993. As Mike Holmgren tells it, he called Reggie ahead of White’s decision, but got no answer. He left a message on the answering machine that said, “Reggie, this is God. I want you to play for the Packers.” An ordained minister, Reggie found the humor, but also knew the Packers respected his faith. For that and the potential to win a Superbowl, White signed with Green Bay.
White played for the Packers for six years. He was an important part of the Superbowl XXXI win, notching a Superbowl record three sacks in the game. He was named to six more Pro Bowls and two more All Pro teams. In addition, he won his second Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1998. That season, his last in Green Bay, he had 16 sacks, four forced fumbles, and 46 tackles.
The Carolina Panthers
Reggie White retired from the NFL after the 1998 season. After sitting out 1999, he returned to the game for one more season with the Carolina Panthers. He recorded 5.5 sacks and 16 tackles. He retired for good following the 200 season with 198 career sacks, the second most all time.
White passed away in his sleep on December 26, 2004. He was elected to the Hall of Fame posthumously in 2006. His family decided not to choose a team for White to represent, but it would have undoubtedly been a tough decision for him between the Eagles and Packers. Prior to his death, White was informed by the Packers that his number 92 would be retired by the organization. In a special ceremony, the Packers did just that on September 18, 2005. His number is one of just six that has been retired by the Packers, who have been playing football for over 100 years.
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