CBN.com LOVING GOD AND FOOTBALL
Reggie always wanted to be a minister but loved the game of football. At 17, he became an ordained minister. As a senior at Tennessee, Reggie earned the nickname “Minister of Defense.”
Reggie spent two seasons in the ill-fated U.S. Football League but made a memorable debut in 1985 with the Philadelphia Eagles. He only played 13 games that season but was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.
In 1987, Reggie sacked Redskins quarterback Doug Williams, stripped the ball and ran 70 yards for the first of his two career touchdowns. By 1993, Reggie recorded 124 sacks in 121 games, over 8 seasons.He became the first big name free agent to switch teams and joined the Green Bay Packers. Instantly, he helped turn the direction of the franchise. The team steadily improved and in 1996, with a record three sacks. Reggie helped the team to a victory in Super Bowl XXXI.
Reggie played two more years in Green Bay, adding 27 more sacks to his statistics.He retired for a year before joining the Carolina Panthers in 2000 for one season. Reggie retired as the NFL’s all-time sack leader with 198. Tragically, on December 26, 2004, Reggie died from cardiac arrhythimia caused by sarcoidosis, a respiratory ailment he lived with for years. In 2006, Reggie was inducted into the NFL’s Hall of Fame.
THE REAL MINISTER OF DEFENSE
Sara moved to Knoxville, TN as a high school junior and became acquainted with Reggie from church. Reggie was a freshman in college.In January 1985, Reggie and Sara were married. They were friends for 23 years.
“We got close to God and to each other,” says Sara. “I just feel so blessed that I knew him.”
In the years that followed his football career, Reggie found time to study and reflect on his faith. He stopped preaching to do that. Reggie tackled Hebrew for 8 to 10 hours each day and began devouring the Torah. Sara and Reggie toured the Holy Land with groups twice, and Reggie went again without her in October 2003.
With sweat dripping from his face in TV interviews, Reggie would always use his platform to praise the name of Jesus. During his playing career, people used to tell Reggie that God gave him the ability to play football. so he could tell the world about Him. During an interview with NFL films that aired four days before he died, Reggie said, “God doesn’t need football to let the world know about Him.” Reggie came under criticism when he said God told him to sign with Green Bay and again when he condemned hom*osexuality before the Wisconsin legislature.
Reggie’s health problems emerged in 1994 where a physical exam detected sarcoidosis in his lungs. At the time of his death, Reggie was 25 pounds lighter and in superb condition. In the morning on December 26, Sara woke up to Reggie’s snoring. She pushed him over like she always did to get him to stop. Instead he began coughing and choking. Immediately, Sara called 911 then administered CPR to Reggie who was unconscious. When the ambulance crew showed up, Sara took the children to another room and began praying.While at the hospital, Sara was sure that the doctors would tell her that they put him on oxygen. Instead the doctor looked at her and told her Reggie was gone.
The two-hour documentary, Minister of Defense: The Reggie White Story, is co-produced by Sara. For one year, Sara interviewed former teammates, opponents, members of the media, and coaches. She discovered so many new things about her husband that she put together a documentary on his life.
“The reason I decided to make this documentary was I wanted the truth to be known and told. I wanted people to understand who Reggie White was off the field,” says Sara.
The film details Reggie’s rise from humble beginnings to Super Bowl Champion, his impact on the game, and the people around him.
The DVD is available online at www.reggiewhiteDVD.com or in stores across the country. Proceeds from the DVD benefit the charities involved with The Reggie White Foundation, a foundation created to continue Reggie’s legacy of helping those in need.
FAQs
Reggie White died on December 26, 2004, at age 43 from a cardiac arrhythmia, which many believe was partly caused by his untreated sleep apnea. The football legend's CPAP machine was found at his bedside – unused. His legacy foundation continues to help those in need manage their own sleep apnea.
Who is Reggie White's wife? ›
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. -- Sara White has done all she can to honor her husband's memory. For 19 months, she listened to speeches, made a few of her own, smiled when his numbers were retired around the country, cried when she thought how much he'd have loved every moment.
Is Reggie White still living? ›
Reggie White (born December 19, 1961, Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.—died December 26, 2004, Huntersville, North Carolina) was an American professional gridiron football player who was one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the history of the sport.
Did Reggie White retire as a packer? ›
White played with the Packers from 1993-'98. He added 76½ more sacks to his total and was the cornerstone of a defense that ranked No. 1 in the league when the Packers won Super Bowl XXXI. White finished his career with the Carolina Panthers in 2000.
Why did the Eagles let Reggie White go? ›
“The team didn't negotiate with me, so I had to leave,” White explained. But others left the team for less than the Eagles were offered because they were fed up with Braman. He said that wouldn't have happened under Lurie. “I think everybody would have felt appreciated.
What famous person died of sleep apnea? ›
Tragically, as in the case of Carrie Fisher, sleep apnea can also be deadly. Other celebrities that died due to sleep apnea-related complications include famous Indian singer Bappi Lahiri, who suffered from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and Amanda Peterson, who starred in the 1987 romantic comedy Can't Buy Me Love.
Did Reggie White have sarcoidosis? ›
Reggie WHITE
He became one of the most awarded NFL players in history. He lived with lung and cardiac sarcoidosis for many years before his death.
Who is Reggie White's father? ›
Reginald Howard White was born Dec. 19, 1961 in Chattanooga, Tenn. His parents weren't married and he was raised mainly by his mother, Thelma Dodds, who was 19 when she gave birth. His father, Charles White, was a traveling man, playing semipro baseball and softball.
How strong was Reggie White? ›
White thrived against the run. At 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, White was a once-in-a-lifetime defensive end. He was just as devastating against the pass as against the run. His combination of speed, strength and bulk was unprecedented.
How much money did Reggie White make? ›
Over his 15-year career, White earned approximately $39 million in salary alone. This figure primarily includes his contracts with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers, two teams where he made a significant impact.
Reggie White played 2 games in Super Bowls in his career.
| NAME | DATE |
|---|
| 1 | R. White | 1/26/1997 |
| 2 | R. White | 1/25/1998 |
| Average | |
| Total | |
12 jersey. Terry Bradshaw earned four championships with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Roger Staubach earned two with the Dallas Cowboys and Bob Griese earned two with the Miami Dolphins. Joe Namath, Ken Stabler and Aaron Rodgers round out the No. 12 success with one Super Bowl apiece.
Was Reggie White a pastor? ›
White, who became an ordained minister when he was a teenager, had long been outspoken about his Christian faith — from the pulpit to media interviews — and had often courted controversy. But in the interview with Didinger, the footballer revealed that he had undergone something of a religious rethinking.
Why did Reggie quit football? ›
Reggie Bush's retirement from football was influenced by a combination of factors, including injuries, challenges in transitioning from college to the NFL, changes in his playing style, and the natural progression of age.
Did Reggie White play with Brett Favre? ›
Favre and the former Tennessee star were teammates in Green Bay from 1993 through 1998 and led the Packers to victory in the Super Bowl to cap the 1996 season. Although White was a defensive end, Favre said "The Minister of Defense" was clearly the best player he encountered during his playing career.
How did Reggie Lewis pass? ›
Lewis was an NBA All-Star in 1992 and expected to be the next Celtics great when he died suddenly on July 27, 1993 — 30 years ago. His death was attributed to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart condition.
What lung disease did Reggie White have? ›
White had the disease, known as sarcoidosis, for several years, family spokesman Keith Johnson said Sunday. He described it as a respiratory ailment that affected White's sleep.
What happened to Jerome Brown? ›
Death and legacy
Brown died on June 25, 1992, at the age of 27, following an automobile accident in Brooksville, Florida, in which both he and his 12-year-old nephew were killed when Brown lost control of his ZR1 Chevrolet Corvette at high speed and crashed into a palm tree.
