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After eight NFL seasons, James White has decided to hang up his cleats for good. The Patriots running back made the announcement just hours before New England’s first preseason game of 2022.
White had been dealing with a serious hip injury that caused him to miss 14 games last year, but the team clearly seemed hopeful he would be able to return in 2022. As a matter of fact, the Patriots were so confident that he would be able to make his way back to the field that they gave him a new two-year deal in March.
Despite the hip injury heading into 2022, White had hoped he could play this year, but as recently as July, it seemed like he started to realize that a comeback might not be possible. White was still walking uncomfortably last month, and due to the injury, he clearly felt that he wouldn’t be able to return to his old form.
“It has been an honor to represent my family, my teammates and the people of New England as a Patriots,” White said in a statement. “Thank you to Mr. Kraft, Coach Belichick, and the entire Patriots organization for giving me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream. To be able to play my entire career for one franchise, in front of the best fans in the NFL, has been a tremendous blessing and honor.”
White ended up in New England after the Patriots made him a fourth-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. During his eight seasons with the Patriots, he was a dual-threat player who made their offense better any time he was on the field.
Not only did he rack up 1,278 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground over the course of his career, but he did even more damage through the air with 3,278 yards and 25 touchdowns over eight seasons.
White’s biggest game came in Super Bowl LI when he helped jumpstart the Patriots comeback win after they found themselves trailing 28-3 to the Falcons. White took a pitch from Tom Brady in overtime and scored the game-winning touchdown.
White arguably could have been the MVP of that game. Not only did he total 139 yards (110 receiving and 29 rushing), but he also scored three touchdowns. Besides that two-yard game-winner, White also scored on a one-yard run with less than a minute to play that tied the game at 28. He also caught a five-yard touchdown in the third quarter that cut the Falcons’ lead down to 28-9.
White caught 14 passes in that game, which is still a Super Bowl record.
In eight NFL seasons, White played on three Super Bowl winning teams, which means he’ll be walking away with more Super Bowl rings than most franchises have ever won.
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