White was diagnosed in 2016 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the progressive neurodegenerative disease also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the legendary baseball player who died from it.
White handled his diagnosis and life with ALS with grace and acceptance.
“When Dr. (Kevin) Weber told me I had ALS, I was like, ‘Oh, OK,’” White told The Dispatch in 2018. “He says, ‘You don’t understand, there is a 100 percent chance you are going to die.’ I told him, ‘Well, everybody who is born, there is a 100 percent chance they’re going to die. And no one is going to live into their thousands.'”
White, a Lima native, played for Ohio State from 1984-87. The Detroit Lions drafted him in the fourth round of the 1988 draft. White played 11 years in the NFL. After six years with the Lions, he played three seasons for Kansas City and his final two for Atlanta. He was on the Falcons’ Super Bowl team in his last season.
White is survived by his wife, Nikol, and three children — sons William Jr., Brendon and daughter Brea. Brendon was a safety at Ohio State before finishing his career at Rutgers.
Linebacker Chris Spielman was a teammate of White’s at Ohio State and with the Lions.
“I loved William,” Spielman said in a statement he provided the Lions. “We shared experiences of joy and sorrow on and off the field. He was and always will be my brother. I am grateful to share a special moment last year when he was able to share the ring of honor moment with me. I can’t wait to see him again when he will be free from ALS. May God’s Peace rest upon his family.”
The Lions also released a statement mourning White’s death.
