Best of the Packers: Top 10 defensive linemen since 1960
By Phil Watson
3. Reggie White (1993-98)
The impact Reggie White had on the Green Bay Packers simply cannot be overstated. White agreed to a free-agent contract with the Packers in the spring of 1993, a transaction that signified the resurgence of Green Bay as an NFL power after decades of mediocrity.
White didn’t disappoint. A six-time All-Pro with the Philadelphia Eagles prior to signing with the Pack, White was named to two more All-Pro teams and six Pro Bowls in his six seasons in Green Bay and had three sacks in a memorable Super Bowl XXXI win over the New England Patriots that marked the Packers’ first championship since the Vince Lombardi era.
White had 68½ sacks, 301 tackles, 14 forced fumbles and an interception in six years in Green Bay, retiring after the 1998 season after earning back-to-back NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards.
He entered professional football with the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League and jumped to the Eagles in 1985 after the USFL ended operations. After a year in retirement, White came back for a final season with the Carolina Panthers in 2000 before retiring a second time.
His 14 forced fumbles rank third in Packer history and he is second on the franchise’s all-time sack list.
One of the few players to be named to two all-decade teams, White was a first-teamer on the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-1980s and All-1990s squads.
White died from cardiac arrhythmia in December 2004 at just age 43. In 2006, he was inducted into both the Packers and Pro Football halls of fame and he became just the fifth player to have his number retired by the franchise.
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