One of the greatest Eagles ever falls just short of top spot on a historic list

While his name is one of the household variety, his nickname, two decades after his passing, still gives us goosebumps. 'The Minister of Defense', Reggie White, played his final game with the Philadelphia Eagles on January 10, 1993. That was unfortunately as 34-10 shellacking at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys. One of the saddest days in franchise history followed soon after.

White, after eight seasons with the Eagles, left Philly to join the Green Bay Packers. Curse you Norman Braman! He left Philly having earned an NFL Defensive Player of the Year nod in 1987 as well as several handfuls of other accolades.

Eight Eagles seasons resulted in two United Press International NFC Defensive Player of the Year awards (1987 and 1981), six First-Team All-Pro nods (1986-1991), a Second-Team All-Pro mention (1992), and seven Pro Bowl nods (1986-1992). He led all NFL stars in sacks in 1987 (21) and 1988 (18).

The Minister's legend is one we are still mentioning today. His legacy is one that we're still discussing many years later. Recently, he was given a well-deserved tip of the cap.

Reggie White's rookie season as a member of the Eagles ranks as the second-best in the NFL's 105-year history.

White's career began as a member of the USFL's Memphis Showboats (1984-1985). His first NFL season in Philly (1985) is still credited as a rookie season. Ask any Birds fan. 'The Minister' has been baptizing opposing offenses from the word 'go'.

The 33RD TEAM recently released its ranking of the top 10 NFL rookie defensive seasons of all time. The top ten turned out as follows:

1. Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants
2. Reggie White, Philadelphia Eagles
3. Ronnie Lott, San Francisco 49ers
4. Al Baker, Detroit Lions
5. Jevon Kearse, Tennessee Titans
6. Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions
7. Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys
8. Mark Carrier, Chicago Bears
9. Sauce Gardner, New York Jets
10. Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers

Of White, Ian Valentino, the writer of this one, stated the following:

"Some don't count Reggie White's NFL debut as his actual first professional since he played two seasons in the UFL, but he was still considered an NFL rookie. The greatest pass-rusher of all time began his career with a bang, totaling 100 tackles and 13 sacks in only 13 games. He finished behind Indianapolis' Duane Bickett in the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 1985.

White's unblockable nature got the best out of his teammates as well. Greg Brown, who averaged 6.5 sacks per season before White joined the Philadelphia Eagles, totaled 38 sacks in his next three years across from the future Hall of Famer. White's rookie season was the start of a run with nine straight double-digit sack seasons and an amazing career that featured 198 sacks."

It's hard to deny that White's run was phenomenal, whether you were around to witness it or not. He'd end his career elsewhere. That was heartbreaking, much like seeing Brian Dawkins in a Denver Broncos jersey, but here are a couple of things we have been thinking about.

How far has the league come? White signed a four-year deal with the Green Bay Packers in 1993 that was worth $17 million. How much would he be worth if he hit the open market today?

It makes one wonder, doesn't it?

In addition to his aforementioned list of accolades, White, after leaving Philly, earned another NFL Defensive Player of the Year nod, another UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year mention, two more First-Team All-Pro awards, four additional Second-Team All Pro awards, and six more Pro Bowl awards.

His Number 92 jersey is retired by both the Eagles and Packers. He's a member of both the Eagles and Packers Hall of Fame as well as the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team, the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, and the Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team.

Let's make long stories short here. There will NEVER be another Reggie White!