En Memorium: Reggie White

I played defensive end in high school. Reggie White played defensive end well past high school...and played it well. He did it so well that he has become the prototype for that position. He owns the the record for QB sacks. He has more than games he played in.I can think of no one who has done the same. His Carolina Panther jersey is the only replica jersey I have ever owned that was not the black and gold of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Off the field was where he forever commands my respect. He recognized that his abilities were a gift from God and used them to glorify Him. He was unashamedly a man of God who put his heart into his work for disadvantaged youths. What's not to like?
Ask the good people of the NY Times who wrote his obituary.(warning:requires sign-in). They couldn't resist putting this in:

"White created a stir in March 1998 with a speech to the Wisconsin State Assembly. In it, he referred to homosexuality as "one of the biggest sins in the Bible" and used ethnic stereotypes for blacks and whites"

His stereotyping consisted of a quote from Alexander Solzhenitsyn regarding human varieties.

Of course the AP couldn't resist this:

"White worked tirelessly with disadvantaged youths. But his image was tarnished when he gave a speech in which he denounced homosexuality and used ethnic stereotypes. White later apologized."

I wrestled including those quotes as a number of other blogs, most notably Michelle Malkin have pointed out these hypocrytical musings by obit writers.
Reggie White has gone home to be with Jesus. He played football like he lived his life, as his tribute and witness to his love of God and his his fellow humanity. That will live on long after the little digs by the press are forgotten.