December 26, 2004 Reginald Howard White, hall of fame football player, died.

White was born December 19, 1961 in Chattanooga, Tennessee and from 1980 to 1983 played for the University of Tennessee where he was an All-American. After college, he signed with the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League and after that league folded in 1985 he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League.

Over the next fifteen seasons, White was a 12-time All Pro selection and in 1987 and 1998 was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Because of his strong Christian beliefs and his play on the field, White was known as “the Minister of Defense.” After retiring from football, White served as an associate minister at a church in Knoxville, Tennessee. During the 2005 football season the University of Tennessee, Philadelphia Eagles, and Green Bay Packers all retired White’s uniform number and in 2006 he was posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Reggie White Boulevard in Chattanooga and Reggie White Way in Green Bay, Wisconsin are named in his honor.