Brad White (defensive lineman)

White was born on August 18, 1958, in Rexburg, Idaho.[1] He was the oldest of four children.[2] Growing up, White worked on the family potato farm in Idaho Falls.[2][3] He started playing football while in fourth grade and was coached by his father for several years.[2] He attended Skyline High School in Idaho Falls, where he was a top football player and state champion wrestler.[2][4] White earned all-state honors in both sports and also was the state champion in discus throw and shotput.[2] Sports Illustrated later named him one of the "Top 50 Greatest Sports Figures from Idaho".[2] He is an inductee into the Idaho High School Football Hall of Fame.[2]

White committed to the University of Tennessee, arriving on August 16, 1976, after driving 2,800 miles.[5] Football practice started on August 18, which was his 18th birthday.[5] Things "almost immediately headed downhill," and he became "an athlete in waiting," seeing no varsity action in his first two years.[5] White, suffering from depression and homesickness, nearly quit the team and headed home.[5]

In 1976, White appeared in two games on the junior varsity football team, against Kentucky and Lees–McRae.[5] He redshirted for the 1977 season.[5] In 1978, he made the varsity team and became one of their top defensive performers, posting 45 tackles in the first four games.[5] He made his varsity debut on September 16 against the UCLA Bruins, starting before an attendance of over 82,500.[5] "In 1976 and 1977, I played before about 2,500 people. The largest single audience for a JV game was, I guess, 1,500. You can imagine how it felt when I started against UCLA, my first varsity appearance, before more than 82,500," he said.[5]

In the 1979 season, White led Tennessee in "big plays" (sacks, TFLs, fumble recoveries, forced fumbles) and made a team-leading seven sacks.[6] In the 1980 season, White's senior year, he tied for first on the team in "big plays", having recorded five sacks, five tackles-for-loss and two forced fumbles.[3]

After his senior year, White was selected to play in the 1981 Japan Bowl and the East–West Shrine Bowl.[2] White finished his college career with 19 sacks, 245 tackles, 24 tackles-for-loss, four forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered in three seasons at the varsity level.[2]

White was selected in the 12th round (310th overall) of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[7][8] Despite being a 12th round pick, he impressed in training camp and made the final roster as backup nose tackle, becoming one of only six rookies to make the team.[3][9][10] At first, they had him play exclusively on the special teams.[9] Against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 25, White blocked a 54-yard field goal, which was the first time this was accomplished in team history.[11] "On field goal attempts, I'm what they call the 'jumper,' the guy who's supposed to block the kick," White said.[10] The Buccaneers eventually made the playoffs, but lost 0–38 to the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round.[12][13] White played every regular season game in the season and also appeared in their one playoff game, recording 22 tackles on the year.[1][14]

In a strike-shortened 1982 season, White played in all nine regular season games and made three tackles.[14][15] He helped the Buccaneers compile a 5–4 record and make it to the playoffs, where they lost to the Dallas Cowboys for the second consecutive year.[15] In the following season, White appeared in all 16 games, but did not start any, as Tampa Bay finished 2–14.[14][16] He recorded a total of 20 tackles on the season.[14]

Despite impressing in the 1984 preseason, and coach John McKay declaring White to be the team's best backup nose tackle and defensive end,[17] White was released at the final roster cuts in August.[18] His release was described as "the biggest surprise of all" by The Tampa Tribune.[18] McKay said that the play of new signings Brison Manor and Byron Braggs contributed to his release.[18] "It came as a complete surprise," White said.[19]

On August 31, White was signed by the Indianapolis Colts.[20] He played as second-string nose tackle for most of the season, behind Leo Wisniewski.[19] White mostly appeared on special teams, but became a starter for the final two games of the year after Wisniewski was injured.[19] They were the first two starts of his career.[1] White finished the season with 15 games played, two as a starter, and 39 tackles, including 13 solo stops.[19] He also made two sacks for a loss of 16 yards and pressured the quarterback into throwing the ball away nine times, which was fourth-highest on the team.[19]

After Wisniewski announced his plans to sit out the 1985 season, White was named the Colts' starting nose tackle.[19] White had his best year as a professional in 1985, starting 15 out of 16 games and making 97 tackles, leading the team's defensive line as the Colts finished 5–11.[21][22] He also made one sack.[1] White was released in August 1986 after losing a training camp battle to Willie Broughton.[21]

In 1987, White was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as a replacement player during the NFLPA strike.[23] He appeared in one game, starting in a 7–27 loss to the Chicago Bears before being released.[24] It was the final game of his NFL career.[25]

White played six NFL seasons and finished his career with 73 games played, 18 as a starter, and three sacks.[25] He also unofficially made at least 181 tackles.[14][19][21]

White later worked for Anderson Press and TNT Fireworks.[2] He resided the last 31 years of his life in Florence, Alabama.[2] With his wife, Cathy, White had two children.[2]

White died on July 16, 2022, at the age of 63.[2]

• Harbaum, Bob (August 3, 1983). "White wants to play (somewhere)". The Bradenton Herald. p. 29, 30 – via Newspapers.com.

• Career statistics and player information from Pro Football Reference