Former pro football player Reggie White of the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles has died of a massive heart attack at age 43, reports ESPN. White was dealing with his wife’s diagnosis with multiple sclerosis and also leaves a son and a daughter. He was part of the Super Bowl XXXI champion Packers team.
He caused outrage in 1998 for being pictured in his Packers uniform in anti-gay ads—a violation of NFL policy. White was in many ads, including a full-page ad in USA Today July 15, 1998. The ad was headlined ‘Toward an open debate on homosexual behavior. … In defense of free speech.’ It listed criticism White said he has received for speaking out against homosexuality, including during a speech to Wisconsin lawmakers in March of that year. The Christian Coalition was among 15 groups who paid for the ads.