BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The late Reggie White inspired fear in opponents but mostly awe in teammates or friends. Known as the defensive end with the quick step and the teammate with a quicker quip, White was respected by his peers as much for his leadership as for his considerable on-field accomplishments.
The legacy of White, who died at the age of 43 on Dec. 26, 2004, will be recounted today when he is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"He was the best I ever played with, not just on the football field, but as a man, a friend, a father," said former Eagles receiver Mike Quick, now the team's radio analyst. "The guy showed lots of us how we should be as men, husbands and friends to one another."
It wasn't just teammates who had this heartfelt feeling for White.
"I loved him," said Merrill Reese, who is entering his 30th season as the Eagles radio play-by-play announcer. "Reggie was funny and warm, and there was never an athlete that great that was ever less egotistical."
An ordained minister who was nicknamed "The Minister of Defense," White was a leader both on and off the field.
"He was a force in the locker room, an example to young guys," said former Eagles tight end John Spagnola. "He mentored guys, and he would look after people and everybody looked up to him."
So much so that football players, known for salty tongues, watched their words around White.
"He loved the Lord very much, and he didn't tolerate people cursing, but he was also just a big kid and had a lot of fun all the time," Spagnola said.
White was known for his sense of humor and especially his impersonations.
"He was so funny with the impersonations, and he used to do me," Reese said, still laughing at the thought. "He would lower his voice four octaves and start doing play-by-play."
What made White so dangerous on the field was that he was 6-foot-5, 291 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in about 4.6 seconds.
"He was so big, strong and fast and was able to take over football games and did that a number of times," said Eagles coach Andy Reid, who was an assistant during all six of White's seasons in Green Bay. "He always seemed to do it during the crunch time right when you needed it done. He would get a sack and big play."
That was evident in Super Bowl XXXI, when White recorded three sacks in the Packers' 35-21 win over New England.
White retired after the 2000 season, his only one with the Carolina Panthers. He departed as the NFL all-time sack leader, with 198, although White has since been surpassed by Bruce Smith, who finished with 200.
White began his 15-year NFL career with the Eagles in 1987, moving over from the USFL's Memphis Showboats. He earned 13 Pro Bowl berths, including seven with the Eagles.
"I didn't know who Reggie White was when he signed," Spagnola said. "When he came, I had never seen anybody play like him, throwing around 300-pounders."
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb remembers the first time he met White at a football function. McNabb expected to shake White's hand and move on, but the two were still talking 20 minutes later.
McNabb recalled that White spoke at length about McNabb's college career, his pro career and about handling certain situations he would continue to face in the NFL.
"And for that conversation to continue on from two minutes to five to 10 to 20 minutes, I mean that shows a lot about the guy," McNabb said. "That shows great character, great personality and one that you feel good about."
Former Eagles receiver and current director of player development and alumni Harold Carmichael never played with White but had struck up a strong friendship with him.
"There were two guys who I pretty much looked up to as athletes and people: Reggie and Dr. J," Carmichael said, referring to Julius Erving. "With his drive, leadership ability and the way he gave, Reggie was one of the greatest people I have ever met."