After eight seasons in the NFL, New England Patriots running back James White announced his retirement from pro football on Thursday.
A mainstay in the backfield during his time with the Patriots, White emerged as a fan-favorite in New England. The Super Bowl LI hero retires with 381 receptions for 3,278 yards and 25 regular-season touchdowns. White also had 319 rushing attempts for 1,278 yards and 11 TDs.
In his announcement, White took time to thank his wife, kids, teammates, parents, New England owner Robert Kraft and head Coach Bill Belichick.
Following his retirement, NFL fans quickly took to Twitter to share their favorite James White moments.
New England will be in my heart forever. Thank you for unwavering support over the years. I am forever grateful.
This chapter has been one that I will cherish. I look forward to what is next. pic.twitter.com/8qd0FbA0tW
— James White (@SweetFeet_White) August 11, 2022
James White Career Earnings
White retires from the NFL after earning $18.9 million across eight seasons with the Patriots.
He may not be a Hall of Famer, but Patriot fans will always remember him for his performance in Super Bowl LI, versus the Atlanta Falcons.
In arguably the greatest Super Bowl ever, White was instrumental in New England’s 28-3 comeback versus the Falcons.
He finished with 14 catches for 110 yards, six carries for 29 yards, a two point conversion and three touchdowns, including the game-winner score in overtime.
The performance helped the Patriots secure their fifth Super Bowl and etched White’s name in NFL history.
NFL Twitter Reacts to James White Retirement
NFL fans took to Twitter to share their favorite moments from the Super Bowl LI hero’s career. While many of White’s best moments came in Super Bowl LI, some fans had a hilarious response to Falcons’ fans seeing the replays over and over again.
Check out the best reactions from NFL Twitter below.
Retiring #Patriots RB James White @SweetFeet_White will forever be remembered – on the field – for this TD! @Patriots @nfl @wbz
— Dan Roche (@RochieWBZ) August 11, 2022
James White about to be a Buc lmao
— ✴️🅰️✳️ (@Con_Piquete) August 11, 2022
#Falcons fans seeing all the Super Bowl highlights again on James White retirement posts pic.twitter.com/d70vvpISgi
— PGS NEST (@NestPgs) August 11, 2022
From 2015-2020, most ___ by a running back in the NFL
Receptions: James White, 364 (next closest is Alvin Kamara at 326)
Receiving yards: James White, 3161 (next closest is Duke Johnson at 2,829)
Receiving TDs: James White, 25 (next closest is David Johnson with 17)
— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) August 11, 2022
In my lifetime the Patriots have had a slew of great third down backs. Kevin Faulk, Danny Woodhead, Shane Vereen, Dion Lewis. But above all of them is James White — Not ONCE lost a fumble and should have been the SB 51 MVP. pic.twitter.com/awvgmcI7bi
— Joe (@TheJoeyChaisson) August 11, 2022
New England Patriots Say Goodbye to James White
News broke on Thursday about White’s retirement on Thursday. Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick quickly made a statement about the three-time Super Bowl champion.
“James defines the term consummate professional,” Belichick said. “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.”
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
