University of Tennessee Athletics
Reggie White Named to College Football Hall of Fame
May 07, 2002 | Football
May 7, 2002
UT Players/Coaches in College Football Hall of Fame
Former University of Tennessee defensive tackle Reggie White (1980-83) has been named to the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame, Division 1-A Class of 2002. He becomes the Tennessee's 18th member of the College Hall.
White, who earned the moniker "Minister of Defense" for his play at Tennessee, joins split end Terry Beasley of Auburn (1969-71), tailback George "Sonny" Franck of Minnesota (1938-40), running back Cosmo Iacavazzi of Princeton (1962-64), wide receiver John Jefferson of Arizona State (1974-77), safety Ronnie Lott of Southern California (1977-80), quarterback Dan Marino of Pittsburgh (1979-82), running back Napoleon McCallum of Navy (1983-85), offensive guard Reggie McKenzie of Michigan (1969-71), defensive back Randy Rhino of Georgia Tech (1972-74), offensive tackle Jerry Sisemore of Texas (1970-72), linebacker Gary Spani of Kansas State (1974-77), and tight end Kellen Winslow of Missouri (1976-78) on the players' list and coaches Earle Bruce (1972-92 at Tampa, Iowa State, Ohio State, Northern Iowa, and Colorado State) and Carmen Cozza (1965-96 at Yale).
White was captain of the 1983 Volunteer squad and was an All-America and All-SEC selection that season. He was the SEC Player of the Year in 1983 and was the Atlanta Touchdown Club's Player of the Year, the Birmingham Touchdown Club's Most Outstanding Senior and the Birmingham Monday Morning Quarterback Club' Most Outstanding Lineman that season. He holds school records for career sacks with 32 and season sacks with 15 in 1983.
He played professionally for the Memphis Showboats of the USFL (1984-85), the Philadelphia Eagles (1985-92) and the Green Bay Packers (1993-98). He led the Packers to a win in the 1998 Super Bowl.
Induction ceremonies will be held Dec. 10 in New York City at the Foundation's annual Awards Banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
Other Vols in the College Football Hall of Fame are Gene McEver (inducted 1954), Beattie Feathers (inducted 1955), Gen. Robert R. Neyland (inducted 1956 as coach), Herman Hickman (inducted 1959), Bobby Dodd (inducted 1959 as player at Tennessee, inducted 1993 as coach at Georgia Tech), Bob Suffridge (inducted 1961), Nathan W. Dougherty (inducted 1967), George Cafego (inducted 1969), Bowden Wyatt (inducted 1972 as player, inducted 1997 as coach), Hank Lauricella (inducted 1981), Doug Atkins (inducted 1985), John Majors (inducted 1987), Bob Johnson (inducted 1989), Ed Molinski (inducted 1990), Steve DeLong (inducted 1993), John Michels (inducted 1996) and Steve Kiner (inducted 1999).
