Defensive End,
Green Bay Packers
Age: 37 (Dec.
19)
16th
season in pro football, 14th in NFL & 6th with Packers
College: Tennessee
Height: 6’5” Weight: 304
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.
In ’87, he achieved NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors as he recorded 21
sacks, just missing the existing league record, and despite being limited to 12
games due to the players’ strike. 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 five more Pro Bowls through 1997and was a
consensus All-Pro choice in ’95 while receiving first- or second-team
consideration on three other occasions. The Packers also won two NFC titles and
the Super Bowl following the ’96 season.
1998 Season Summary
Appeared and
started in all 16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Sacks – 16
[2, 1st in NFC]
Most sacks,
game – 3 vs. Tampa Bay 9/13, vs. San Francisco 11/1
Multi-sack
games – 5
Interceptions
– 0
Fumble
recoveries – 0
Forced fumbles
– 4
Tackles – 33
Assists – 13
Postseason: 1 G (NFC Wild Card playoff at San
Francisco)
Sacks – 0
Interceptions
– 0
TDs – 0
Awards &
Honors:
NFL Defensive
Player of the Year: AP
1st
team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Sporting News
1st
team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl
Packers went 11-5
to finish second in the NFC Central and qualify for the playoffs as a Wild
Card. Lost NFC Wild Card playoff to San Francisco 49ers (30-27).
Aftermath:
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 at the
time with 198 and reached double figures in 12 seasons. He was a consensus
first-team All-NFL selection eight times (twice with the Packers) and was
chosen to the Pro Bowl after 13 straight years (the last six with Green Bay). 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.
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