Reggie White's No. 92 remains a sight to remember for NFL faithful
Reggie White will forever be remembered for being a champion on and off the field in Green Bay and Philadelphia (with a retirement year in Carolina) during his 15 seasons of NFL service.
Following an uncommon journey to professional football's highest levels that first passed through the USFL, White quickly became a Defensive Player of the Year winner in his first go-round in Philadelphia. The award was won after the switch to No. 92, which was not White's only number during his rookie season. He also wore 91.
In the early nineties, White signed one of the most lucrative NFL contracts for a defender along the defensive trenches. The DE cashed in on a four-year, $17 million deal that was, at the time, an eyebrow-raising payday.
The switch to Green Bay led to more individual success, including another Defensive Player of the Year award in 1998, but more importantly, previously unreachable team success as well. White was a part of a 1996 Super Bowl Packers team led on the offensive end by Brett Favre that will go down as one of the greatest two-way teams in NFL history.
22 years ago today. Brett Favre and Reggie White led the Packers to an NFC Championship win over the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field. Up to that point it was the greatest moment of my life as a Packers fan. https://t.co/090MvWP3Su
After retiring in 1999, White signed with the Panthers for one last run a year later. In one of the finer twilight years a player has ever had with a new team on a one-year arrangement, he recorded 5.5 sacks in Carolina before riding off into the sunset for good.
White tragically passed away in 2004 due to cardiac and pulmonary sarcoidosis, and will forever be remembered by fans as a punisher on the field but a spiritual man off of it.
Reggie White will be remembered as one of the all-time greats
NFL.com recently produced a staff writer roundtable looking for the top three NFL defensive players of all time. Several members of the staff had Reggie White as a primary option.
#GoPackGoReggie White recorded the most SK (3) during 1 Super Bowl in Green Bay #Packers history & the t-most in NFL history twitter.com/GBPdaily/statu…
Of the writers that commented on White, in particular, Marc Ross had the most personal take of the bunch. Ross noted his own fandom and front row seat to and of White's on-field dominance:
"Being a Philly native and a teenage Eagles fan during The Minister of Defense's prime, I have an emotional investment in Reggie White. His unique blend of speed and power -- who could forget his signature hump move? -- easily made him one of the top two most dominant defensive players in history."
Brian Baldinger lauded his size and clutch-time instincts for an unmatched resume:
"When it comes to White, we will never see the combination of size (6-foot-5, 325 pounds) and speed like he had. His power to take 350-pound men and "hump" them out of the field of vision has never been duplicated. He knew exactly when the time was right to take over a big game."
Chad Reuter gave White one of the biggest compliments an NFL player can receiver, calling him the most impactful defensive free-agent signing in NFL history:
"The Minister of Defense dominated his opponent, not only with his patented "hump move", but with football intelligence and quickness unexpected from a man his size. White led a strong Eagles defense in the first half of his NFL career and then was the most impactful defensive free-agent signing in NFL history, reviving a moribund Packers franchise in the mid-1990s."
Former NFL CB DeAngelo Hall grouped Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor, and Ray Lewis together in his praise for the three notorious old-school bruisers:
"There's no denying what these three players mean to the history of the game. There are two important factors that must be taken into account when talking about the greatest of all time: A player must have the ability to dominate a game at any given moment and help the team win. Taylor, White and Lewis are the prototype at the standard for excellence as players, teammates and leaders. There are others deserving of being in this list, but, to me, this is the cream of the crop."
Adam Rank credited Super Bowl XXXI to White, saying he was a must-have for the team back in 1996-97:
"White's Eagles career alone was amazing. But what he did for the Green Bay Packers is not talked about enough. Brett Favre never wins a Super Bowl without him."
Former NFL WR James Jones kept things simple in his analysis of The Minister of Defense":
"I have to tip my cap to Packers legend Reggie White, who finished his career with 198 sacks. You don't get a nickname like The Minister of Defense for nothing."
CBS Sports' Jeff Kerr called White the No. 1 defender in the history of the league:
"There's certainly some debate on who's the greatest defensive player ever, but White was clearly the most dominant. Winning the Defensive Player of the Year award at 37 (1998 season) just showcased White's greatness through two decades."
Reggie White is in several Hall of Fames
Reggie White was posthumously elected to the Professional Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot on February 4, 2006, and was previously enshrined in the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005, and was later named to the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
His Pro Football HOF induction was carried out via his family. His widow, Sara White, delivered her late husband's acceptance speech, while his son Jeremy White released the first copies of his autobiography, "In His Shadow: Growing Up With Reggie White," during the Hall of Fame weekend in honor of his father.
A man of faith was lost in a crushing way, but No. 92 will always be a sight to remember for Eagles fans, Packers fans, and anyone that'd consider themselves part of the NFL family. It may never get better than Reggie White on defense.