ALL-TIME SACK LEADER REGGIE WHITE PLAYS FINAL REGULAR-SEASON GAME

Green Bay Packers defensive end REGGIE WHITE, who plans to retire after this season, will play his final regular-season game this Sunday when the Packers travel to Chicago to face the Bears.

White’s NFL career has spanned 14 seasons, the first eight with the Philadelphia Eagles and the last six with Green Bay. During that period, he has set numerous records.

White holds NFL records for most career sacks (192.5), most consecutive seasons with 10 or more sacks (nine, 1985-93), most total seasons with 10 or more sacks (12), most sacks in a Super Bowl (3.0) and most career Pro Bowl sacks (9.5).

He is tied with former New York Jets defensive end MARK GASTINEAU and Carolina Panthers linebacker KEVIN GREENE for most seasons leading the NFL in sacks with two (1987-88), but can break that tie if he finishes 1998 as the league leader. He is tied with Seattle Seahawks defensive end MICHAEL SINCLAIR for the NFL lead with 16.0.

White is also tied with Buffalo Bills defensive end BRUCE SMITH for most career playoff sacks (12.0) and with Gastineau for most sacks in a Pro Bowl game (4.0). White has sacked 71 different quarterbacks in his career.

In 1987, White recorded a career-high and NFC-record 21.0 sacks despite playing only 12 games due to the strike-shortened season. The 21.0 sacks tie him with CHRIS DOLEMAN (1989) for second-most in a season, trailing Gastineau’s 22.0 of 1984. From 1986-88, White registered 57.0 sacks in 44 games.

White’s final season has been one of his best. He was twice named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for two 3.0-sack performances in Weeks 2 and 9, and also won September NFC Defensive Player of the Month honors. White finished September with 5.5 sacks, 10 tackles, two forced fumbles and three passes defensed.

After initially announcing his retirement last offseason, White changed his mind and returned for another season.

"I’m so happy that he decided to come back and play because he’s playing this year like I hoped he would play his last year," says Packers head coach MIKE HOLMGREN. "That’s how I pictured him ending his career."

White’s memorable performances are numerous.

In his first NFL game, against the New York Giants on September 29, 1985, White had 2.5 sacks and deflected a pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by teammate HERMAN EDWARDS. On November 2, 1986, White recorded a career-high 4.0 sacks vs. the St. Louis Cardinals – a mark he would tie on November 30, 1986 against the Los Angeles Raiders and on September 25, 1988 against the Minnesota Vikings.

On October 31, 1993 against Chicago, White surpassed New York Giants linebacker LAWRENCE TAYLOR (132.5) as the NFL’s all-time sack leader.

In the playoffs, White set a Super Bowl record with 3.0 sacks against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. He was named Player of the Game for the 1987 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl when he tied a Pro Bowl record with 4.0 sacks.

White was named Defensive Player of the Year in 1987 by the Associated Press, Pro Football Weekly and United Press International (NFC); in 1991 by Pro Football Weekly and UPI (NFC); and in 1995 by UPI (NFC).

Since the NFL began awarding NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in 1984, White has won six times, and has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for December 1988 and September 1998. In 1994, White was one of only four active players and one of only three defensive ends to be named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.

* Through 15 games