“A Tragedy” Retired NFL safety William White dies at 56 after six-year battle with ALS

Life is fleeting and we’ll never know which moment is our last. William White retired 11-year NFL veteran has died at age 56 after a gruesome six-year battle with ALS.

Whit had an illustrious career, he was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1998 after moving to the Kansas City Chiefs and played his final season in Atlanta with the Falcons.

White had 20 interceptions over his career he started 132 of the 170 regular-season games he appeared in and recorded 721 tackles, 20 interceptions, two forced fumbles and 3.5 sacks. The deceased veteran is survived by his wife Nikol and his three children William jr, Brea, and Brendon.

We share in the sadness felt today throughout the NFL community following the news of William White’s passing. Drafted by the Lions in the 4th round of the 1988 Draft out of Ohio State, White played 6 seasons in Detroit (1988-1993) & appeared in 95 games (79 starts) for the club. pic.twitter.com/v42P1KnbmA
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) July 29, 2022

The Lions announced the news on Thursday through Chris Spielman who is a former teammate of White’s and also the special assistant to the CEO of the Lions. ‘I loved William,’ said Lions executive Chris Spielman, ‘We shared experiences of joy and sorrow on and off the field. He was and always will be my brother.

‘I am forever grateful for the special moment last year when he was able to be by my side during the Pride of the Lions ceremony at Ford Field. I can’t wait to see him again when he will be free from ALS. May God’s peace rest upon his family.’

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“No regrets playing Football”: William White told Eleven Warriors after being diagnosed from ALS

William was brave and fought his illness with ‘uncommon valor’ as stated by Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN analyst and former teammate of White.

When I heard about his diagnosis years ago I was in shock. He fought it like you’d expect, with uncommon valor. Known his family for many years-my thoughts and prayers to Nikol, their children, and the rest of the White family.
So sorry for your loss. ?? https://t.co/Mbsk5Hv16L
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) July 29, 2022

When asked if ALS was caused by football, White said positively that it didn’t matter as he loved to play the sport. “It may have something to do with it, but hey, it don’t matter,” he said. “If I knew I would have got this, I would have still played the game, because I loved it, and smacking people in the mouth was fun to me. “I’m not allowed to say that now,” White said with a laugh, “but hey, that’s why God made sure I was born in ‘66 instead of ‘86.”

There is no actual known cause of ALS but after many studies, it is concluded that football plays a huge part in the diagnosis of this illness. The chances of an NFL player dying of ALS or Alzheimer’s are four times higher than the general US population.

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