Happy Football Friday. We hope you have been enjoying the countdown to kickoff. We have two more excellent college football players to continue our journey. We have The Minister of Defense himself, Reggie White. As well as a legendary Oklahoma Sooner, Tony Casillas. We are officially 92 Days Away From College Football Kickoff.
Reggie White Days Away From College Football Kickoff
The Minister of Defense
Reggie White was one of the most dominant defensive players in football history, standing out at both the college and professional levels for his ability to disrupt quarterbacks. He was also raised in a deeply religious family. White became an ordained Baptist Minister at the age of 17. This helped solidify the nickname “Minister of Defense” during his time at Tennessee.
White was known for his impressive ability to sack quarterbacks. He still holds Tennessee records for most sacks in a game 4, a season 15, and a career 32. His teammates also voted him the Volunteer’s Outstanding Lineman.
During his time at Tennessee, he also made 201 unassisted tackles, 92 assists, and recovered four fumbles.
As a senior, he received all-conference honors, was a unanimous All-American, won SEC Defensive MVP, and was a finalist for the Lombardi Award. By the end of his college career, he was selected for the all-time Tennessee team and the SEC team of the 1980s.
After college, White played two seasons with the Memphis Showboats in the USFL before joining the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL. Over 13 seasons with the Eagles and Packers, he was named NFL Rookie of the Year, made 11 Pro Bowl appearances, and helped his team win a Super Bowl. Beyond football and his ministry, White was also involved in many charitable activities.
White passed away from a fatal cardiac arrhythmia at the age of 43 on December 26, 2004
Another Great #92 Tony Casillas (Oklahoma)
Tony Casillas was a two-time consensus First Team All-America pick and became only the second Sooner to win the Lombardi Award in 1985, given to the nation’s top lineman. He was also named UPI National Lineman of the Year and BIG-8 Conference Defensive Player of the Year. That same year, Casillas helped lead Oklahoma to its first National Championship in a decade. Tony Casillas made life tough for opponents. No matter how hard the offenses tried, they could not avoid him in the heart of Oklahoma’s strong defensive line. Head coach and Hall of Famer Barry Switzer even called him “perhaps the greatest Sooner defensive lineman ever.”
Casillas was named First Team All-Conference twice and finished his college career with 18 sacks and 213 tackles. He also stood out academically, graduating with a degree in public relations and earning Academic All-Conference honors in 1985. He was recognized as the College Defensive Player of the Decade for the 1980s.
In the 1986 NFL Draft, he was picked second overall by the Atlanta Falcons. Casillas went on to play 13 seasons in the NFL with three teams, was named All-Pro twice, and won two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys.
After retiring from football, he became president of T.C. Oil and Gas Company.
Editor’s Note: The countdown to college football kickoff has been a series on the Last Word on College Football social media platforms for the past 9 years. They consisted of a photo and a small blurb for each player, with the jersey corresponding to the number of days until kickoff. The rank of the players is sourced from articles by Bleacher Report, Fox Sports, and The Athletic. There are also some favorite players of the Last Word on College Football writers. Their bios are sourced from multiple online sources, including but not limited to the College Football Hall of Fame, their Heisman profiles, and school websites.
Main Photo: Tennessee Athletics photo
