Saturday, August 05, 2006

Reggie White goes into Hall of Fame a hero

Without a doubt, one of the best defensive players in NFL history, Reggie White was inducted into the Hall of Fame Sunday, about 18 months after passing away at age 43.

White, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers, will mostly be remembered for his amazing football abilities.

However, White would rather be remembered for something else - his willingness and dedication to serving the Lord.

"I hope that my life serving God and doing what he called me to do would overshadow anything I did in football," White told The Associated Press in 1998.

While White's calling as an athlete led him to be one of the most dominant defensive players ever, it was his calling to serve God that I will most remember him. He gave everything he had on the football field, but gave even more in ministry off the field.

"He ministered to everybody, but his first ministry was to his teammates," LeRoy Butler said. "Because he knew that if he could get you to live right, the team was better off."

The Minister of Defense focused on more than football. His focus was on life itself and living not for his own purpose, but that of the Lord's.

With chants of REG-GIE, REG-GIE being shouted among the crowd in Canton, Ohio, his late wife, Sara White, remembered him for the person he was.

"Reggie was an honest, humble, honorable, dedicated, determined, passionate and caring man," she said. "He is inducted today not only because of his athletic achievements, but because he was a great player on the field in accordance with being a great person throughout life."

White was a two-time defensive player of the year who made 13 straight Pro Bowls. He is second on the career sacks leaderboard with 198.

He played for the Philadelphia Eagles for 8 years before joining the Green Bay Packers and leading them to a Super Bowl.

I will always remember White leading a phenominal Eagles defense in the 90's.

But looking back at his life and the person he was, I will remember him more for the positive effect he had on others.




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Born and raised right outside of Philadelphia, I am a passionate Phillies, Eagles, and Flyers fan. This blog takes my passion of sports and writing and combines them into "Out of Bounds."
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I was raised in Warminster, PA. I am married to Veronica and we have three children, Brianna, Katie, and Alex. I work at Ashland Distribution as a Customer Service Supervisor.

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I've written professionally for The Press Enterprise in Bloomsburg, PA. I was also a Sports Writer, Sports Editor, and Managing Editor at The Voice (Bloomsburg college paper).
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