CNN.com - NFL legend Reggie White dies at 43

Hall of Famer White's sudden death will shock NFL fans. NEW YORK, USA -- NFL great Reggie White died Sunday morning at his North Carolina home of a massive heart attack. He was 43. White, the league's former all-time sack leader, was a 13-time Pro Bowl selection.

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Hall of Famer White's sudden death will shock NFL fans.

NEW YORK, USA -- NFL great Reggie White died Sunday morning at his North Carolina home of a massive heart attack. He was 43.

White, the league's former all-time sack leader, was a 13-time Pro Bowl selection.

He put together a Hall of Fame career as a defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers from 1985-1998. He also played for the Carolina Panthers in 2000.

ESPN reported his death Sunday morning on its NFL preview show. White had only celebrated his birthday seven days ago.

"Today our beloved husband, father and friend passed away," White's wife, Sara, said in a statement through a family pastor. "His family appreciates your thoughts and prayers as we mourn the loss of Reggie White. We want to thank you in advance for honoring our privacy."

White retired in 2000 as the league all-time leader in sacks with 198. The mark has since been passed by Bruce Smith.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of one of the greatest men ever to play the game of football," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement.

"On behalf of the entire Eagles family, our condolences go out to his wife, Sara, to his children, and to all those who have been touched by Reggie throughout his life. His legacy on and off the football field will never be forgotten."

White began his career with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL in 1984, and joined the Philadelphia Eagles, who held his NFL rights, after the USFL folded in 1985.

After eight years as an integral piece in Philadelphia's "Gang Green Defense," White signed as a free agent with Green Bay in 1993 for $17 million over four years, huge for that era.

His signing, along with a trade for quarterback Brett Favre, brought a measure of respectability back to the franchise and he was the first major black player to sign with the Packers as a free agent.

His decision to choose the Packers was a surprise.

"That's what changed the football fortunes of this franchise," Packers president Bob Harlan said Sunday. "Everyone thought the last place he would sign was Green Bay and it was monumental because not only did he sign but he recruited for Green Bay and got guys like Sean Jones to come here.

He sent a message to the rest of the NFL that Green Bay was a great place to play and before that this was a place people didn't want to come."

He helped lead the Packers to consecutive Super Bowl appearances, including a win over New England in 1997, when he set a Super Bowl record with three sacks.

White worked tirelessly in the offseason with inner-city kids and to bridge the racial and economic divide. But his image was tarnished when he gave a speech in which he denounced homosexuality and used ethnic stereotypes. White later apologized.

He was 39 when he finished his NFL career with Carolina, leaving the game with 198 sacks. That was actually White's third retirement. He retired for one day before the 1998 season, but then said God had told him he needed to play again, and he returned to the Packers.

White retired again after the 1998 season, but he returned to the Panthers for one last hurrah as he played for $1 million.

Remarkably durable, White missed only one game in his last 12 seasons and started all but three games during that span.

"Reggie's records and accomplishments say it all," said George Seifert, who coached him on the Panthers. "He is a Hall of Fame player and possibly the best defensive lineman ever to play the game."


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