The news of the death of Reggie White sent shock waves throughout the NFL community, including the Washington Redskins.
Several members of the Redskins' front office and coaching staff have at some point coached the future Hall of Fame defensive end. White was a former Philadelphia Eagle, Green Bay Packer and Carolina Panther who passed away on Sunday at the age of 43.
White was a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and an ordained minister who earned the nickname "Minister of Defense" as one of the league's elite defensive linemen.
White began his pro career in the USFL in 1983 and his head coach with the Memphis Showboats was Franklin "Pepper" Rodgers, who currently serves as the Redskins' vice president of football operations.
Redskins fans mostly remember White as a dominant defensive end with the Philadelphia Eagles from the 1980s and early '90s and in leading the Packers to a Super Bowl championship in the 1996 season.
White's first NFL head coach was Marion Campbell, then with the Eagles. Campbell is the father of Redskins' director of pro personnel Scott Campbell.
When White went to Green Bay to play for the Packers, his first defensive line coach was Greg Blache, currently the Redskins' defensive coordinator-defensive line coach.
White played his last game in Washington in the 2000 season opener when the Redskins faced off against the Carolina Panthers. Current Redskins offensive coordinator Don Breaux was a member of that coaching staff. That game was promoted as a matchup of the NFL's top two sack leaders, White and former Redskin Bruce Smith.
In recent years, head coach Joe Gibbs got to know White in North Carolina.
"He lived three blocks from me in Charlotte," Gibbs said. "We were trying to help Reggie into ownership in [NASCAR] racing. He was working real close with J.D. (Gibbs' son) and everybody else in the race shop.
"I have to tell you, he had an impact on so many people. I think what he has done is hard to put into words. He was a great leader and a great person. We will be in prayer for his family and for everybody else who was close to him."
NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue issued the following statement regarding White's passing:
"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. We are deeply saddened by his loss and extend our deepest sympathies to Reggie's wife Sara and his entire family."
