Tracy White
Encyclopedia
Tracy Donnel White is an American football
linebacker
for the New England Patriots
of the National Football League
(NFL). He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks
as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football
at Howard.
White has also been a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars
, Green Bay Packers
and Philadelphia Eagles
.
. He attended Timberland High School in St. Stephen, South Carolina
, and played linebacker
and kicker
on his high school football
team. He also participated in wrestling
and track and field
.
all 44 games played at Howard University
and led the team each season in tackles, becoming the school's all-time leader with 500, to go along with 22 sacks and six interceptions. As a junior, he was named the Black College Defensive Player of the Year. He was twice named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Defensive Player of the Year and was a three-time All-MEAC selection. Following the 2002 season, White played in the East–West Shrine Game, the only Division I-AA player to participate that year.
, White signed with the Seattle Seahawks
on May 1, 2003. After spending two seasons with the Seahawks, in which he saw mostly special teams work, he was waived on September 3, 2005.
. He played in 15 games, again mostly on special teams. On December 28, before the season finale, he was placed on the injured reserve
list with an ankle injury. The Jaguars did not offer him a contract for the next season, making him a free agent
.
on March 17, 2006. On March 16, 2008, White re-signed with the Packers to a two-year contract after visits with the Denver Broncos
and Pittsburgh Steelers
. The contract was worth $1.8 million and the deal included a $250,000 signing bonus.
White became an unrestricted free agent
after the 2007 season
but was re-signed by the Packers on March 25, 2008. He was released by the Packers on October 7 after practice squad linebacker
Danny Lansanah
was promoted to the active roster.
signed White to a two-year contract. He was primarily used as a special-teams player. He re-signed with the Eagles on July 31, 2010 to a one-year contract.
for an undisclosed late round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft
. Playing in 16 games, all as a reserve, White finished second on the team with 18 special teams tackles.
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...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
of 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...
(NFL). He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Howard.
White has also been a member of the Jacksonville 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...
, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
and Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
White was born in Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. He attended Timberland High School in St. Stephen, South Carolina
St. Stephen, South Carolina
St. Stephen is a town in Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,776 at the 2000 census.As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and used by the U.S. Census Bureau for statistical purposes only, St. Stephen is included within the Charleston-North...
, and played linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
and kicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
on his high school 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....
team. He also participated in 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...
and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
.
College career
White startedStarting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
all 44 games played at Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
and led the team each season in tackles, becoming the school's all-time leader with 500, to go along with 22 sacks and six interceptions. As a junior, he was named the Black College Defensive Player of the Year. He was twice named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is a collegiate athletic conference of historically black colleges and universities in the Southeastern United States...
Defensive Player of the Year and was a three-time All-MEAC selection. Following the 2002 season, White played in the East–West Shrine Game, the only Division I-AA player to participate that year.
Seattle Seahawks
After being undrafted in the 2003 NFL Draft2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
, White signed with the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
on May 1, 2003. After spending two seasons with the Seahawks, in which he saw mostly special teams work, he was waived on September 3, 2005.
Jacksonville Jaguars
White was immediately claimed off waivers by the Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville 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...
. He played in 15 games, again mostly on special teams. On December 28, before the season finale, he was placed on the injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
list with an ankle injury. The Jaguars did not offer him a contract for the next season, making him a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
.
Green Bay Packers
White signed with the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
on March 17, 2006. On March 16, 2008, White re-signed with the Packers to a two-year contract after visits with the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. The contract was worth $1.8 million and the deal included a $250,000 signing bonus.
White became an unrestricted free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
after the 2007 season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
but was re-signed by the Packers on March 25, 2008. He was released by the Packers on October 7 after practice squad linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Danny Lansanah
Danny Lansanah
Daniel Delray Lansanah is an American football linebacker for Las Vegas Locomotives the of the United Football League. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Connecticut....
was promoted to the active roster.
Philadelphia Eagles
On October 14, 2008, the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
signed White to a two-year contract. He was primarily used as a special-teams player. He re-signed with the Eagles on July 31, 2010 to a one-year contract.
New England Patriots
On September 4, 2010, the Eagles traded White to the New England PatriotsNew England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
for an undisclosed late round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft
2012 NFL Draft
The 2012 NFL Draft will be the 77th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players.-Trades:...
. Playing in 16 games, all as a reserve, White finished second on the team with 18 special teams tackles.