Patriots running back James White officially announced his retirement from the NFL on Thursday via Twitter.
New England drafted White in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin, and the running back played all eight seasons of his career with the Patriots.
“It has been an honor to represent my family, my teammates, and the people of New England as a Patriot,” he wrote. “Reflecting on my nine years in the NFL and all the sacrifices it took to get here, there are many people that were just as much part of this journey.”
White thanked many people in his post, from his family to the Patriots coaches and ownership, to his former teammates.
“To say that Foxboro will always hold a special place in my heart is an understatement,” he added. “It’s been the most significant chapter of my adulthood; my kids were born here; it’s the place we know the best as adults and where I have grown and created a family.”
White spent his Patriot career as a receiving back, which was very valuable when Tom Brady was the quarterback. White finished his career with 381 catches, 3,278 receiving yards and 25 receiving touchdowns. He rushed the ball 319 total for 1,278 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.
In a statement, Patriots owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick praised what White brought to the team.
“As great of a player as James has been for us, he’s an even better person,” Kraft said. “He is a man of great character and integrity and earned everyone’s respect through his work ethic, professionalism and positive daily demeanor. James became a part of the Patriots’ family while in New England and while his presence in our locker room will be missed, we are happy for James and his family as they embark on a new adventure.”
“James defines the term consummate professional,” Belichick added. “His dependability, consistency, unselfishness and performance under pressure are elite. Combining great intelligence, quickness and elusiveness, James was a perfect fit for our pass offense. While soft spoken, he brought exceptional leadership and competitive toughness to the team. He was a multi-year team captain and one of the most respected, best team players I have ever coached.”
White was on the team for three Super Bowls, but his performance in Super Bowl LI was his best as a Patriot. The running back caught 14 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown, and rushed six times for 29 yards and two touchdowns, helping New England come back from down 28–3 to beat the Falcons. His rushing touchdown in overtime is the only overtime score in Super Bowl history. All three of White’s scores came in the second half.
He also went 593 touches before losing a fumble in his career, the longest such streak in league history.
