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Reggie White, that is. Died at a mere 43 years. An NFL legend and fellow Tennessean.
I glory in what God called me to do. I don't want to obey man's teachings.''
In 1998, during a rambling address to the Wisconsin legislature, he gave a speech that decried homosexuality and stereotyped races. It was Reggie White Unplugged.
African-Americans, he said, ''are very gifted in what we call worship and celebration.'' White people are ''blessed with the gift of structure and organization.'' Hispanics ''can put 20 or 30 people in one home.'' Asians know how to ''turn a television into a watch.''
Some applauded him for stating his beliefs. Others, including me, lampooned him as a misguided commentator on the human condition.
That speech and his later attempts to defend his comments are what many people will remember most about him.
And it's a shame. Because those words don't define Reggie White.
Instead of living comfortably in a world of strict, unyielding beliefs, he decided to continue to pursue the truth. After retiring from football in 2000, White began to question some of the tenets of organized religion. He wondered why so many millions were spent on church buildings instead of channeling that money directly to the poor and disenfranchised.
He remained a Christian but sought to expand his horizons to better understand his God and himself.
White went to Israel. He studied Hebrew. He said he wanted to be able to read the scriptures and decide for himself what they meant.
He was a big man. But he never stopped trying to grow. Reggie White died too young. He still had many, many miles to walk.
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