Reaction to the death of former NFL defensive end Reggie White:
"Reggie White was a gentle warrior who will be remembered as one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history. Equally as impressive as his achievements on the field was the positive impact he made off the field and the way he served as a positive influence on so many young people." -- NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
"He was just a wonderful player, first of all. Then, as a person, he was just the best. He was one of the leaders, along with Brett Favre, of our football team in Green Bay. I'm a better person for having been around Reggie White." -- Seattle coach Mike Holmgren, who coached White at Green Bay.
"That's what changed the football fortunes of this franchise. It was huge. 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." -- Green Bay president Bob Harlan. White was the first major black player to sign with the Packers as a free agent.
"This is such a loss. About two months ago, Reggie was in town on business and he stopped by the practice facility. We chatted, and then I went to get (Detroit defensive tackle) Shaun Rogers. Reggie showed him every aspect of his hump move, and when he was done, he gave Shaun his phone number and told him to call if he could ever help him. That's the kind of guy Reggie was -- he could have kept all his knowledge to himself, but he wanted to share it with everyone and help make them better players. I'm shocked and disappointed." -- former Detroit defensive end Robert Porcher.
"At times, you would get a little frustrated with Reggie because he was always goofing around on the practice field. He goofed around all the time. He loved the game and rarely got serious. Now on Sundays, he'd get serious and he would have fun." -- Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher, who was with White for five seasons in Philadelphia, the last three as defensive coordinator.
"I knew him very well, on and off the field. He was one of my idols before I went to Tennessee and I was lucky to get the chance to play with him at Carolina before he retired." -- Jacksonville Jaguars safety Deon Grant, who played college football at Tennessee, White's alma mater, and played with White in Carolina.
"I'll have to use that old Bum Phillips line: I don't know if he was the best, but it won't take long to call the roll. In the history of the NFL, there's been two dominant free agents: Reggie White and Deion Sanders. From that standpoint, he was as good as they come." -- Former Green Bay GM Ron Wolf.
"He was one of the greatest players who ever put on a uniform at his position. I once referred to him as the Tony Dorsett of defensive linemen. There's never been a better one." -- Johnny Majors, White's former coach at Tennessee.
"Reggie's records and accomplishments say it all. He is a Hall of Fame player and possibly the best defensive lineman ever to play the game." -- George Seifert, who coached him in Carolina.
"Even though he was nearing the end of his career, and you don't do this much, but I remember when he walked out of our offices at Wofford at training camp after he signed the contract, I remember you just sit back and say 'Man, we just signed Reggie White.' I mean, he had that kind of impact, he was that kind of player and that kind of individual." -- Carolina GM Marty Hurney on White's impact during his one season with the Panthers.
"It's no coincidence he passed on football Sunday. Reggie loved the game, and he loved the people associated with the game. I'm glad that as the entire NFL was preparing to play, they could honor Reggie. You say Reggie's name, and people just have an immediate respect for him." -- Keith Johnson, head of CAUSE ministry, Christian Athletes United for Spiritual Empowerment, of which White was one of the founders.
"Yes. Oh, (my reaction was) probably like everybody else's. Just what a great guy he was. He was one of the few guys that if you ever spent any time around, you kind of felt like he was a guy that really cared about people -- nothing to do with football. He was one of those guys that would embrace you and talk to you. When I was at San Francisco, we brought him out and thought there was a chance to sign him as a free agent but he wound up going to Green Bay. But I had a chance to spend a couple evenings with him and I was really impressed with the type of person he was and how he handled himself. Obviously, I couldn't believe it when I heard it." -- Denver Broncos Head Coach Mike Shanahan, on if he knew Reggie White and what his reaction was to his death
