Reggie White

High school

Howard High School

College

University of Tennessee

Pro team(s)

Memphis Showboats (USFL), Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers

Hall of Fame

⭐ Pro Football Hall of Fame

Reginald Howard White was born on December 19, 1961, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and grew up attending Howard High School — one of Chattanooga's historically Black schools under Tennessee's segregated system — where he starred in football and began his ordained ministry, earning the nickname "The Minister of Defense" that would follow him throughout his career. He played college football at the University of Tennessee before beginning his professional career with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL in 1984, then joining the Philadelphia Eagles in 1985. White was the most dominant defensive player of his era — a 6-foot-5, 300-pound defensive end who combined rare size with pass-rush speed that offensive linemen simply could not neutralize. He accumulated 198 career sacks, which stood as the NFL all-time record until Bruce Smith surpassed it in 2000. He was a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a 13-time Pro Bowl selection, and the central figure of the Green Bay Packers' Super Bowl XXXI championship team in 1997. His 1993 free agency decision to sign with Green Bay (rather than the many higher-profile franchises that courted him) was one of the most consequential moments in NFL history, transforming the Packers from a struggling franchise into a champion. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee.