Dwight White
Encyclopedia
Dwight Lynn White was an American football
defensive end
who played for ten seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers
in the National Football League
(NFL) and was a member of the famed Steel Curtain
defense.
, White graduated from James Madison High School
in Dallas, Texas
and played college football at East Texas State University (since renamed Texas A&M University–Commerce).
defensive end
. White spent much of the week leading up to Super Bowl IX
in a hospital, suffering from pneumonia
; he lost 20 pounds and was not expected to play in the game. However, he did play, 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 46 quarterback sacks, however sacks were not an official defensive stat until 1982.
Steelers owner Dan Rooney
called White "one of the greatest players to ever wear a Steelers uniform" and he was named to the Steelers All-Time team in 1982 and again in 2007. He retired after the 1980 season and went on to become a stock broker.
, the complication from back surgery, is the suspected cause of death. On February 1, 2010, his family filed a wrongful death suit against the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and three doctors, claiming that his death had been caused by medical negligence.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
who played for ten seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) and was a member of the famed Steel Curtain
Steel Curtain
The Steel Curtain was the nickname given to the front four of the famous defensive line of the American football team Pittsburgh Steelers during their 1970s dynasty years. This defense was the backbone of the Steelers dynasty, which won 4 Super Bowls...
defense.
Life and career
Born in Hampton, VirginiaHampton, Virginia
Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
, White graduated from James Madison High School
James Madison High School (Dallas, Texas)
For schools with a similar name, see Madison High School.James Madison High School, formerly Forest Avenue High School, is a public secondary school located at 3000 Martin L. King Boulevard in South Dallas, Texas...
in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
and played college football at East Texas State University (since renamed Texas A&M University–Commerce).
Pittsburgh Steelers
Nicknamed "Mad Dog", because of his intensity, White became a two-time Pro BowlPro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
. White spent much of the week leading up to Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX was an American football game played on January 12, 1975 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1974 regular season. It would be the last pro game at legendary Tulane Stadium...
in a hospital, suffering from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
; he lost 20 pounds and was not expected to play in the game. However, he did play, and accounted for the only scoring in the first half when he sacked
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
Fran Tarkenton
Fran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
in the end zone for a safety — the first points in Steelers' history in a championship game. The Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
16–6.
White finished his career with 46 quarterback sacks, however sacks were not an official defensive stat until 1982.
Steelers owner Dan Rooney
Dan Rooney
Daniel Milton "Dan" Rooney is the United States Ambassador to Ireland. He is chairman emeritus of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team in the National Football League , which was founded by his father, Art Rooney. Rooney was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 for his contributions...
called White "one of the greatest players to ever wear a Steelers uniform" and he was named to the Steelers All-Time team in 1982 and again in 2007. 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. A blood clot in his lungLung
The lung is the essential respiration organ in many air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart...
, the complication from back surgery, is the suspected cause of death. On February 1, 2010, his family filed a wrongful death suit against the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and three doctors, claiming that his death had been caused by medical negligence.