Dwight Lynn White (July 30, 1949 – June 6, 2008) was an American defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) who played with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1971 to 1980[1] and was a member of the famed Steel Curtain defense.[2]
Life and career
Born in Hampton, Virginia, he graduated from James Madison High School in Dallas, Texas and played college football at East Texas State University, now known as Texas A&M University-Commerce.[3] Steelers owner Dan Rooney called White "one of the greatest players to ever wear a Steelers uniform".[2]
Pittsburgh Steelers
Nick-named "Mad Dog", because of his intensity,[4] White became a two-time Pro Bowl defensive end. Prior to Super Bowl IX, White spent much of the previous week in a hospital, suffering from pneumonia. He lost 20 pounds during that week and was not expected to play. However, he did play,[5] and accounted for the only scoring in the first half when he sacked Fran Tarkenton in the end zone for a safety — the first points in Steelers' history in a championship game. The Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings 16-6.
White finished his career with 55 sacks, according to Steeler team records. He retired after the 1980 season and went on to become a stock broker.
Death
Dwight White died of complications that arose from an earlier surgery.[6] A blood clot in his lung, the complication from back surgery, is the suspected cause of death.[5] Just five months earlier, fellow Steel Curtain defensive lineman Ernie Holmes was killed in a car crash leaving Joe Greene and L.C. Greenwood as the last surviving members of the famed defensive line.
Notes
- The Super Bowl An Official Retrospective, Ballantine Books, 2005.
External links
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Pittsburgh Steelers 75th Anniversary Team |
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