Dwight White
The 'Mad Dog' defensive end who delivered the first safety in Super Bowl history.
Dwight Lynn White (July 30, 1949 – June 6, 2008) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end for 10 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the East Texas State Lions (now East Texas A&M). He won four Super Bowls with the Steelers as a member of their famed Steel Curtain defense. Nicknamed "Mad Dog" because of his intensity, White became a two-time Pro Bowl defensive end. 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.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Defensive end
- Born
- 30 July 1949
- Birthplace
- Hampton, Virginia, U.S.
- Died
- 6 June 2008
- Place of death
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Draft year
- 1971
- Draft pick
- 104
- High school
- James Madison (Dallas, Texas)
Lore & Background
Dwight 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, and also the first safety in Super Bowl history. The Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings 16–6. White finished his career with 46 quarterback sacks as recorded unofficially by the Steelers; sacks were not an official NFL defensive stat until 1982. He retired after the 1980 season and went on to become a stock broker.
Reader's Guide
Dwight White played defensive end for 10 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection. His most famous performance came in Super Bowl IX, where he played despite being hospitalized with pneumonia and losing 20 pounds. He recorded the first safety in Super Bowl history by sacking Fran Tarkenton in the end zone. White's 46 career sacks were recorded unofficially by the Steelers, as sacks did not become an official NFL stat until 1982. After retiring following the 1980 season, he became a stock broker. White died on June 6, 2008, from complications that arose from an earlier surgery. A blood clot in his lung, the complication from back surgery, is the suspected cause of death.
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