Age: 26 (Dec. 19)
5th season in pro
football, third in NFL & with Eagles
College: Tennessee
Height: 6’5” Weight: 285
Prelude:
A consensus All-American and
SEC Player of the Year as a senior in college (where he gained his nickname
“The Minister of Defense”), White started his pro career in the USFL with the
Memphis Showboats in 1984. In two seasons, he garnered 23.5 sacks and then left
the ill-fated spring league for the Eagles, who had taken him in the first
round of the ’84 NFL Supplemental draft. He joined Philadelphia early in the 1985 season and had
13 sacks in 13 games (between the spring USFL season and the fall NFL campaign,
he played in a total of 31 contests in ‘85). Quickly establishing himself as a
dominant player at his position, White had 18 sacks in 1986 and was a consensus
first-team All-Pro and was chosen for the Pro Bowl.
1987 Season Summary
Appeared and started in 12
of 15 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate
league rank in Top 20]
Sacks – 21 [1]
Most sacks, game – 3 vs. NY
Giants 11/15
Multi-sack games – 8
Interceptions – 0
Fumble recoveries – 1
Forced fumbles – 4
Tackles – 76
Scoring
TDs – 1
Points – 6
Awards & Honors:
NFL Defensive Player of the
Year: AP
1st team All-NFL:
AP, NEA, PFWA, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News
1st team All-NFC:
UPI, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl
Eagles went 7-8 to finish
fourth in the NFC East in the strike-affected season (three games were played
with replacement players), finishing second in the NFL in sacks (57).
Aftermath:
Having just missed the
single-season sack record in 1987, White again led the NFL in sacks with 18 in
1988. He remained with the Eagles through 1992 and was a consensus first-team
All-Pro selection for six straight years and was named to seven consecutive Pro
Bowls. The leader of an outstanding defensive unit, White also became a vocal
critic of the team’s front office and left to sign with the Green Bay Packers
as a free agent in 1993. He went to seven more Pro Bowls and was a consensus
All-Pro choice twice more as well as Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of
the Year once more, in 1998 at age 37. The Packers also won two NFC titles and
the Super Bowl following the ’96 season. White retired for a year in 1999 but
returned for one more season with the Carolina Panthers in 2000. He finished
his career as the NFL’s all-time leader in sacks with 198 and reached double
figures in 12 seasons. White’s #92 was retired by both the Eagles and Packers
and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2006.
--
MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL,
AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized
organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper
Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell
Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself). Also includes Associated Press
NFL Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.
[Updated 2/6/14]
[Updated 2/6/14]