Roddy White
Encyclopedia
Sharod Lamor White is an American football
wide receiver
playing for the Atlanta Falcons
in the National Football League
. He was selected with the 27th pick overall in the 2005 NFL Draft
out of UAB
.
, and was a four-sport letterman and standout in football
, baseball
, soccer, and wrestling
. In football, he was a two-time All-Low Country
honoree, a two-time All-State honoree, and was also listed as one of the top receivers in the nation on Rivals.com. In wrestling, he was a two-time state champion often pinning his opponent in a move that was coined the "Shanaz". White attended University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he was a standout wide receiver. In 2004, White helped UAB to its first and to date, only bowl game. In the 2004 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, White caught six passes for 113 yards and a touchdown in a 59-40 defeat of the Blazers by Hawaii.
campaign. He ranked fourth among all rookie receivers in 2005
. Although a high ankle sprain caused him to remain on the sidelines for much of the preseason, he recovered by Week 2 of the 2005 season and was put on the team's roster. In Week 4 of the 2005 season, against the Minnesota Vikings
, he was inserted in the lineup as the No. 3 receiver. During the course of the game he racked up 64 yards on 5 catches. However, during the rest of the season, his performance was spotty at best. He made a fantastic leaping catch over three defenders on a trick play against the New Orleans Saints
during Week 14 for a 54-yd touchdown, but dropped a touchdown catch the next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, although he had a 108-yard receiving performance vs. Tampa Bay (11/20) which was the second-highest receiving total put up by a rookie wide receiver in 2005, only surpassed by Jaguars
WR Matt Jones
(117 yards vs. Baltimore).
In the Falcons 2007 game against the New Orleans Saints
, White showed his support for fellow Falcon Michael Vick
by wearing a t-shirt that said "Free Mike Vick" and pulling up his jersey after scoring a touchdown. Earlier that day, Vick was sentenced to 23 months in jail on dogfighting charges. White was fined $10,000 by the league for his actions.
Roddy White became the first Falcon WR since 1999 to reach 1,000 single season receiving yards on December 23, 2007. He also finished tied for 8th among all NFL wide receivers in receiving yards in 2007 with 1,202 yards. He had 6 receiving touchdowns.
Roddy White's 2008 performance was even better than the previous year, finishing 4th in the NFL in receiving yards (3rd in the NFC). He finished the year with 1,382 receiving yards (career high and team record), 88 receptions (career high), and 7 touchdowns (career high). He broke Alfred Jenkins team record of 1,358 receiving yards, which stood since 1981.
After his Week 14 performance in the team's 29–25 loss to the New Orleans Saints
at the Louisiana Superdome
, ESPN
personality Chris Berman (while reporting the highlights of the game on SportsCenter
) gave White the nickname "Rowdy" Roddy White, named after professional wrestling
legend and WWE Hall of Fame
r "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
. Roddy White caught a touchdown pass in the playoffs game against the Arizona Cardinals
, who defeated the Falcons.
On December 16, 2008, White was named to the 2009 Pro Bowl
along with fellow Falcons RB Michael Turner.
Roddy White had 1 catch for 26 yards and 1 rush for 7 yards in the 2009 Pro Bowl
.
On July 31, 2009, White began a holdout, boycotting the 2009 training camp in an attempt at an early contract extension. On August 8 he signed a six-year, $48 million contract extension with $18.6 million guaranteed and $28 million dollars over the first three years of the deal. The extension makes him the 5th highest paid wide receiver in the league, behind Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald
, Carolina's Steve Smith, Miami's Brandon Marshall
, and Houston's Andre Johnson
.
On October 11, 2009 White became the all time receiving leader in yards in one game in Franchise history in a game against the 49ers. In this game White had 8 receptions for 210 yards, a career-high with a 90 yard touchdown catch and 2 touchdowns.
He finished the 2009 season with 85 receptions 1,153 yards and a career high 11 touchdowns. He became only the second Falcon player to record three straight 1,000 yard seasons. On January 26, 2010, Roddy White was selected to his 2nd Consecutive Pro Bowl.
Roddy White led the 2010 Pro Bowl
in catches with 8 for 84 yards.
In the first game of the 2010 season, Roddy White had a career-high 13 receptions.
Through 16 games in 2010 Roddy White leads the NFL in receptions with 115 and the NFC in receiving yards with 1,389. He also has 10 touchdowns for the year.
He led the NFC Pro Bowl team with 69 yards.
Roddy White has more yards (5,158) than any other receiver in the league since 2007.
White is the father of three children.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
playing for the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was selected with the 27th pick overall in the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
out of UAB
University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public university in Birmingham in the U.S. state of Alabama. Developing from an extension center established in 1936, the institution became an autonomous institution in 1969 and is today one of three institutions in the University of Alabama System...
.
Early years
White attended James Island Charter High School in James Island, South CarolinaJames Island, South Carolina
James Island is a former town in Charleston County, South Carolina, United States. It is located in the central and southern parts of James Island. As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and used by the U.S...
, and was a four-sport letterman and standout in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, soccer, and wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
. In football, he was a two-time All-Low Country
South Carolina Low Country
The Lowcountry is a geographic and cultural region located along South Carolina's coast. The region includes the South Carolina Sea Islands...
honoree, a two-time All-State honoree, and was also listed as one of the top receivers in the nation on Rivals.com. In wrestling, he was a two-time state champion often pinning his opponent in a move that was coined the "Shanaz". White attended University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he was a standout wide receiver. In 2004, White helped UAB to its first and to date, only bowl game. In the 2004 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, White caught six passes for 113 yards and a touchdown in a 59-40 defeat of the Blazers by Hawaii.
Atlanta Falcons
White saw instantaneous action in his rookieRookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
campaign. He ranked fourth among all rookie receivers in 2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
. Although a high ankle sprain caused him to remain on the sidelines for much of the preseason, he recovered by Week 2 of the 2005 season and was put on the team's roster. In Week 4 of the 2005 season, against the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, he was inserted in the lineup as the No. 3 receiver. During the course of the game he racked up 64 yards on 5 catches. However, during the rest of the season, his performance was spotty at best. He made a fantastic leaping catch over three defenders on a trick play against the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
during Week 14 for a 54-yd touchdown, but dropped a touchdown catch the next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, although he had a 108-yard receiving performance vs. Tampa Bay (11/20) which was the second-highest receiving total put up by a rookie wide receiver in 2005, only surpassed by Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
WR Matt Jones
Matt Jones (American football)
Matthew Jones is a former American football wide receiver . He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft, and retired officially in November 2010. He played college football at Arkansas....
(117 yards vs. Baltimore).
In the Falcons 2007 game against the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, White showed his support for fellow Falcon Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
by wearing a t-shirt that said "Free Mike Vick" and pulling up his jersey after scoring a touchdown. Earlier that day, Vick was sentenced to 23 months in jail on dogfighting charges. White was fined $10,000 by the league for his actions.
Roddy White became the first Falcon WR since 1999 to reach 1,000 single season receiving yards on December 23, 2007. He also finished tied for 8th among all NFL wide receivers in receiving yards in 2007 with 1,202 yards. He had 6 receiving touchdowns.
Roddy White's 2008 performance was even better than the previous year, finishing 4th in the NFL in receiving yards (3rd in the NFC). He finished the year with 1,382 receiving yards (career high and team record), 88 receptions (career high), and 7 touchdowns (career high). He broke Alfred Jenkins team record of 1,358 receiving yards, which stood since 1981.
After his Week 14 performance in the team's 29–25 loss to the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
at the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
personality Chris Berman (while reporting the highlights of the game on SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
) gave White the nickname "Rowdy" Roddy White, named after professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
legend and WWE Hall of Fame
WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for professional wrestlers maintained by WWE. It was officially created on the February 1, 1993 episode of the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw television program...
r "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
Roddy Piper
Roderick George Toombs , better known by his ring name "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, is a Canadian semi-retired professional wrestler and film actor who is currently signed to WWE. In professional wrestling, he is best known for his work with WWE...
. Roddy White caught a touchdown pass in the playoffs game against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, who defeated the Falcons.
On December 16, 2008, White was named to the 2009 Pro Bowl
2009 Pro Bowl
The 2009 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2008 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 8, 2009. This was the last time that a Pro Bowl game was held after the NFL Super Bowl game...
along with fellow Falcons RB Michael Turner.
Roddy White had 1 catch for 26 yards and 1 rush for 7 yards in the 2009 Pro Bowl
2009 Pro Bowl
The 2009 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2008 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 8, 2009. This was the last time that a Pro Bowl game was held after the NFL Super Bowl game...
.
On July 31, 2009, White began a holdout, boycotting the 2009 training camp in an attempt at an early contract extension. On August 8 he signed a six-year, $48 million contract extension with $18.6 million guaranteed and $28 million dollars over the first three years of the deal. The extension makes him the 5th highest paid wide receiver in the league, behind Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Darnell Fitzgerald, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League, and currently ranks fourth all-time in league history in receiving yards per game for a career , behind Andre Johnson, Torry Holt, and Marvin Harrison...
, Carolina's Steve Smith, Miami's Brandon Marshall
Brandon Marshall
-2006:Before the regular season even began, Marshall suffered a slight tear to his PCL in a pre-season game against the Detroit Lions. Although the injury sidelined him for a couple of weeks, he was able to return and play 15 games during the regular season. Marshall had a total of 20 catches, 309...
, and Houston's Andre Johnson
Andre Johnson
Andre Lamont Johnson is an American football wide receiver currently playing for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Through the 2010–11 NFL season, Johnson currently ranks first all-time in NFL history in receiving yards per game for a career...
.
On October 11, 2009 White became the all time receiving leader in yards in one game in Franchise history in a game against the 49ers. In this game White had 8 receptions for 210 yards, a career-high with a 90 yard touchdown catch and 2 touchdowns.
He finished the 2009 season with 85 receptions 1,153 yards and a career high 11 touchdowns. He became only the second Falcon player to record three straight 1,000 yard seasons. On January 26, 2010, Roddy White was selected to his 2nd Consecutive Pro Bowl.
Roddy White led the 2010 Pro Bowl
2010 Pro Bowl
The 2010 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2009 season. It took place at 8:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site of Super Bowl XLIV...
in catches with 8 for 84 yards.
In the first game of the 2010 season, Roddy White had a career-high 13 receptions.
Through 16 games in 2010 Roddy White leads the NFL in receptions with 115 and the NFC in receiving yards with 1,389. He also has 10 touchdowns for the year.
He led the NFC Pro Bowl team with 69 yards.
Roddy White has more yards (5,158) than any other receiver in the league since 2007.
Personal life
White had developed a tendency for partying during the early part of his career. His mother actually had to steal his credit cards from him after she found out that he was almost bankrupt less than a year after signing his rookie contract worth over $7 million.White is the father of three children.