"I was shocked to hear of the death of Reggie. He was a great friend of mine and a great friend of my family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Sara and his family. It's hard to think that he is gone. It was just last week that I spoke to him about a project he was trying to put together with me and a couple other players.

"I had the utmost respect for Reggie White as a player. He may have been best player I've ever seen and certainly was the best I've ever played with or against.

"He was an integral part of the Packers' success, no question. Had it not been for Reggie, we don't make it to the Super Bowl. That's how important he was to the team. When he signed as a free agent, he changed the way people in and out of football looked at Green Bay as an NFL city. He helped the franchise get back to where it had been...at the top.

"He made the defense what it was during our run...the best in the league. He could turn the course of the game in a single play...and did it many times for us. It was fun to watch him play.

"Off the field, he did so much for so many people. He really reached a lot of people and was still involved in fundraising. He had just helped out at a charity dinner of mine in Mississippi a couple years ago and I helped him out with something last year.

"He was a great friend on and off the field. We'll all miss him."