Reggie White Biography

Reggie White, 36, the most-honored athlete ever to play defensive end in the National Football League's long history has had an illustrious career with both the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers.

White has seen his talents, performance and persona elicit the ultimate in superlatives for more than a decade. He helped the Packers defeat New England in Super Bowl XXXI in January 1997 and led his team back to the Super Bowl in 1998.

Reggie, a 6-5, 304 pound defensive end, has been voted to a record 12th straight Pro Bowl, the NFL's annual all-star game. Reggie, who put off plans for retirement, joined the Packers in 1993 after eight outstanding seasons in Philadelphia. Reggie has played 14 seasons and is a certain NFL Hall of Famer as soon as he becomes eligible.

Reggie White was a consensus All-America in 1983 at Tennessee; 7-time All-NFL (1986-92) with Philadelphia; Reggie signed as a free agent with Green Bay in 1993; he played a key role in the Packers 1997 Super Bowl victory. White who retired after the 1999 season is the second all-time NFL leader in sacks behind Bruce Smith of the Redskins.

Green Bay defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur, openly admiring, has paid him the ultimate compliment, calling White "the cornerstone and foundation of this football team" Shurmur observed, "As we have seen with him over the years, whenever he has had some kind of a physical difficulty, that would put the average guy on the shelf, Reggie has played through an incredible array of injuries.

Obviously, his leadership skills are unparalleled in this league. His impact on our team, on our fans, on our city and on our state is immeasurable. And when it comes to great football players, there's no question that he's probably the greatest to ever play the position.

But, more significantly",Shurmur continued,"I've never been around a guy who has more legitimate concerns for his fellow man and for bettering the place in society of his fellow man or for those who do not have the same kind of advantages we have. He's probably the most unselfish team player I've ever been around and it rubs off. If you were to look at one guy whose demeanor and whose mode of living is an example for all of us to follow, it's Reggie White. He leads by example better than any player I've been around, he's a great human being and a great football player."

These accolades having been delivered, there remains no way to adequately measure White's electrifying impact upon the defense in his five seasons as a Packer. His unit's performance in 1996, serves as a prime example, offers an eloquent testimonial to his contributions. The Packers' defense - under White's leadership - reached the summit in '96, finishing as the NFL's top-ranked unit for the first time since 1967.

White and his colleagues led the league in fewest points allowed and set an NFL record for fewest touchdowns allowed in a 16-game season. The Green Bay defense soared to second place in 1993 (from a distant 23rd the previous year), when the former Philadelphia Eagles superstar joined the Green and Gold as the most sought-after performer to become available with the advent of unrestricted free agency in the National Football League.

They subsequently finished a highly-respectable sixth in 1994 despite the loss of three key starters from the '93 unit. The defense continued to be a positive force in 1995.

Head Coach Mike Holmgren, for one, was able to put the 1993 performance in practical perspective White "made us a better football team - no question about it," Holmgren said, documenting this assertion by noting, "We went from 23rd on defense (in the league as a whole) to 2nd - with no noticeable dramatic personnel changes, except for one man."

Still at the very top of his game after 13 years, White again saw his on-field superiority re-affirmed in 1997 by his selection to the Pro Bowl for an NFL-record 12th straight year. It also represented his fifth trip to the Pro Bowl in a Green Bay uniform tying Willie Davis (1963-67) for the Packers' record for a defensive lineman.

He received even more singular recognition for his outstanding career - his election to the National Football League's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team in August of 1994. White became only the second player in league history to post at least 10 sacks in each of 11 seasons (Buffalo's Bruce Smith had become the first earlier in '97). White is tied with Smith for the most career sacks in NFL postseason history, each having posted 12 in the playoffs.

He ranks as the Packers' career sacks leader in the playoffs and is second on the club's all-time sack list. Earlier in his career, he had become the fastest player in league history to record 100 career sacks, reaching the century mark in only 93 games, 21 games faster than No. 2 Lawrence Taylor (114).

The 36-year-old White is the only player in NFL history to register double-digit sack totals in nine consecutive seasons.

One of the game's most durable performers, he missed a non-strike game for the first time in his career late in the 1995 season, but was back at his customary stand the following week. White had played in 166 consecutive 'union' contests to that point, one of the longest such streaks in NFL history.

In 1993 he became the first Packers defensive end chosen for the Pro Bowl since Ezra Johnson in 1978.

Impressively productive since his selection by the Eagles as a first-round pick in the NFL's supplemental draft of USFL players in 1984, White has amassed a total of 1,079 tackles (772 solo).

The only player to be selected by Pro Football Weekly on its 1980s All-Decade team and also to be projected to its All-1990s team.

Some of his accomplishments are:

Most-honored athlete ever to play defensive end in the NFL's history
Voted to a NFL record 12th straight Pro Bowl
11-time All-NFL
Second all-time NFL leader in sacks
Elected to NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
Only 2nd player in NFL history to record a minimum of 10 sacks in each of 11 seasons
Fastest player in league history to record 100 career sacks
Only player in NFL history to register double-digit sack totals in nine consecutive seasons
Tied for the most career sacks in NFL postseason history
One of the longest consecutive games played streaks in NFL history
Only player ever to be selected by Pro Football Weekly on its 1980s All-Decade team and be projected to its All-1990s team
Played a key role in the Packers 1997 Super Bowl victory
Certain NFL Hall of Famer as soon as he becomes eligible
Consensus All-America in 1983 at the University of Tennessee