William White was a former safety for the Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Atlanta Falcons.
Detroit Lions safety
William White played college football at Ohio State University. He was drafted in 1988 by the Detroit Lions who also drafted his Ohio State teammate Chris Spielman. He became a starting safety for the Lions during his second season and would play with the team for six seasons. After his time with Detroit, he played for Kansas City and finished his career with the Atlanta Falcons. He had 20 interceptions over 11 NFL seasons. He was first diagnosed with ALS in 2016. When Chris Spielman was inducted in 2021 into Detroit’s “Pride of the Lions,” Spielman gave his honorary jacket to White, who was in attendance. Spielman said to White at the ceremony, “To my friend and my brother, this is not my moment, this is our moment.”
Tributes to William White
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.
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) July 29, 2022
I want to tell you a William White story which I hope will help you appreciate who he was.
In August of 2018, I was in a hospital bed on the 5th floor at Riverside Methodist. I had suffered a stroke, at age 39, and we didn’t know why.
The first person who visited me…
— Jerod Smalley (@JerodNBC4) July 29, 2022
Had a chance to interview William White at the half of an OHSAA basketball state championship game, shortly after his diagnosis with ALS was made public. All he could talk about was how much he had to be thankful for. RIP William White
— Marty Bannister (@MartyBannister) July 29, 2022
Full Obituary: The Detroit News
