 White with theSan Diego Chargersc. 1985 | |||||||||
| No. 62, 67 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Guard | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1947-04-04)April 4, 1947 (age 78) San Diego, California, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 269 lb (122 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Helix (La Mesa, California) Indio (Indio, California) | ||||||||
| College | California (1966–1968) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1969: 2nd round, 39th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Edward Alvin White (born April 4, 1947)[1] is an American former professionalfootball player who was aguard for 17 seasons with theMinnesota Vikings andSan Diego Chargers of theNational Football League (NFL). A four-timePro Bowl selection, he retired from playing with the NFL record for the most career games by anoffensive lineman.
White playedcollege football for theCalifornia Golden Bears, earning consensusAll-American honors in 1968. He was selected by Minnesota in the second round of the1969 NFL/AFL draft and played nine seasons with the Vikings before being traded in 1978 to the Chargers, with whom he played another eight seasons. After his playing career, he has worked as a coach and an artist.[2][3]
White was born inMercy Hospital inSan Diego, California, and grew up inLemon Grove.[4] He attendedHelix High School inLa Mesa as a freshman before moving to theCoachella Valley,[5] where he graduated fromIndio High School.[1][6]
White attended theUniversity of California, Berkeley, where he played for theCalifornia Golden Bears (1966–1968) as adefensive lineman. He was named a consensusAll-American atmiddle guard in 1968.[7][8] He graduated with a degree inlandscape architecture.[9]
White began his professional football career with theMinnesota Vikings after being selected in the second round of the1969 AFL/NFL draft. The Vikings moved him tooffensive guard, joining aline that includedMick Tingelhoff,Ron Yary, andGrady Alderman.[8] In White's rookie season in1969, Minnesota scored more points than any NFL orAmerican Football League (AFL) team.[8] He is one of eight players to have played in all four VikingsSuper Bowl appearances, all losses, between 1969 and 1976.[4] Minnesota qualified for theplayoffs in eight of his nine seasons with the team, and he was named to threePro Bowls.[8]
Before the 1978 season, White was traded to theSan Diego Chargers for running backRickey Young.[10] White played another eight seasons with the Chargers and became a fan favorite.[6] San Diego finished 9–7 in1978 for their first winning season in nine years.[11] He earned his fourth Pro Bowl selection in1979,[1][8] when the Chargers made the first of four consecutive playoff appearances (1979–1982).[8] During the span, San Diego finished in the top-4 in the NFL in points each season, twice leading the league,[12] and their potentAir Coryell offense led the league in multiple other categories.[8] The Chargers won three straightAFC West division titles (1979–1981),[13] and they advanced to theAFC Championship Game twice (1980, 1981).[13] San Diego quarterbackDan Fouts, a futureHall of Famer, revered White and the Chargers' offensive line,[11] which led the NFL from 1981 to 1983 in fewestsacks allowed perpass attempt.[13] White was a five-timecaptain for the Chargers and named their lineman of the year from 1983 to 1985.[14] In the1985 season finale, he played in his 241st career NFL game, breaking his former Minnesota teammate Mick Tingelhoff's record for most games by an NFL offensive lineman.[a][16] Prior to the 1986 season, White retired after 17 years.[17]
After retiring from playing, White worked for the Chargers as an offensive line coach in 1986 and 1987.[5]
Following his retirement, he was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame,[8] University of California Athletic Hall of Fame,[18]Breitbard Hall of Fame,[4] East-West Shrine Game Hall of Fame,[19] andChargers Hall of Fame.[8] He was named to theVikings 25th and40th anniversary teams, while he was placed on theChargers 40th and50th anniversary teams.[8] Indio High School named their football field Ed White Stadium in his honor in 1991.[20] As a testament to his impact on every team he played on, White was selected in 2015 to the Pac-12 All Century Football team as a defensive tackle for Cal.[21]
Charger quarterbackDan Fouts has been vocal about endorsing White for thePro Football Hall of Fame: “When he retired, nobody had played in more games (241) as an offensive lineman than Ed White. They don’t have many statistics for offensive linemen other than Pro Bowls and Super Bowls, but Ed would be a leader. He was one of the most feared offensive linemen in the game. You talk to guys likeHowie Long andMatt Millen who had to go against Big Ed. They hated it.”[citation needed] Chargers center/guardDennis McKnight has called White “probably the best all-around offensive lineman in the league in terms of run blocking and pass blocking.”[citation needed]Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackleKyle Turley has called White the best coach he'd ever had.[3]
In 2019, theProfessional Football Researchers Association named White to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2019.[8] He was inducted into the California High School Football Hall of Fame in September 2024.[22]
After football, White devoted his life to a wide range of art, including painting, sculpting and poetry. He was active in Westward Ho, a foundation that taught children about the pioneer experience. After the founder died, White became the executive director and renamed it to Oak Lake Art Center.[6]
White married his high school sweetheart, Joan, in 1968.[6] Their daughter Amy died ofpneumonia after a freak head injury in 1997. Their home inJulian, California, burned in theCedar Fire in 2003.[23] In 2018, White was diagnosed withAlzheimer's disease.[23]