Gene White

Eugene Carlton White (June 21, 1932 – July 7, 2017) was an American professional football player who was a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football as an end for the Georgia Bulldogs before signing with the Green Bay Packers, switching to defensive back in the NFL. He played one season in the NFL before leaving to serve in the United States Army, then briefly returned in 1957 before ending his football career.

Early life White was born on June 21, 1932, in Greensboro, North Carolina. He attended Commerce High School in Georgia where he competed in football, track and field and basketball. He was a top member of the track team and twice scored four touchdowns in a game while playing for the football team. He was a two-time team captain in basketball and won both the 440-yard dash and the shot put events at the 1950 district championships.

White enrolled at the University of Georgia in 1950. The Atlanta Journal reported that he "just showed up" and impressed enough that he made the team. An end, he won a starting position for Georgia during the 1951 season. That year, in 10 games, he recorded 18 receptions for 226 yards. He then caught nine passes for 133 yards and one touchdown in 1952 while being limited by injury. Considered one of the fastest players at his position in the Southeastern Conference, he concluded his collegiate career by catching 13 passes for 188 yards and a touchdown as a senior in 1953. He added by his first season in the NFL, standing at and weighing .

White served in East Asia as a lieutenant and played for the Army All-Stars football team. In 1956, he was part of an Army team that beat the Navy 35–0 in the Torii Bowl in Tokyo, Japan. He later returned to the Packers in 1957 but was released before appearing in any games. Later life and death After his football career, White returned to Georgia and worked in real estate. He received a post-graduate achievement award in 2010 from the Georgia chapter of the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame. With his wife, Rene, White had a son and a daughter. He moved in 1994 to Moore County, North Carolina, and died there on July 7, 2017, at the age of 85.