"That offensive lineman is there to stop me from getting to the quarterback.  he might as well forget it.  He'll just get caught between the stink and the sweat.  I'll kick, slap, gouge.  On that field, i take no prisoners."---Dwight White, Half a Ton of Trouble, Time Magazine...December 8, 1975 

#78 and Steelers great, Dwight Lynn White passed away today after a blood clot reached his lungs following back surgery a month ago.

I have found memories of White and the rest of the front four of the Steel Curtain because these are the guys that I watched as a young kid.  White was a cornerstone of one of the fiercest front fours in the NFL, a reputation that lives in 2008.  Joe Greene got a lot of the attention but White, Greenwood and Fats Holmes (died in January 2008) were absolutely instrumental in making the Steelers known as the Steel Curtain (Steve Furness was also key and is no longer with us).  I'm fortunate enough to have an autograph of Dwight and the rest of the front four and I'm displaying that proudly today.

The front four consisted of four black football players that went to colleges that many have never heard of.  In fact, White was the only one whose father had graduated from college.  Dwight, Greene and Holmes all came from Texas schools.

Dwight was drafted in 1972 in the 5th round from East Texas State.  Other rookies in that class included Jack Ham, Larry Brown, fellow front four member Ernie Holmes and Mike Wagner.  Greene and Greenwood were already on the roster.White made an immediate impact.  The offenses were changing from running to running and passing and the defenses had to adapt.  The front four, under Coach George Perles, did just that.  Their stunts (back then known as "you" and "me" stunts) confused opposing offenses.  Dwight was famous for a move that upper cutted his offensive opponent in the shoulder.

The front four was a unique cast of characters.  L.C. Greenwood was introverted and Dwight White was the extrovert.  Greene was mean and Ernie was a mental case.  Their common denominator was physical, smash-mouth football.  In short, this group was feared.  There were some good defenses in the '70s but the Steel Curtain will go down in history and it was anchored by White and crew.  Time Magazine was a reputable magazine focusing on politics and real world issues.  The Steelers' front four made such an impact, that Time Magazine did a exclusive look at this group in 1975, in an article called Half a Pound of Trouble. 

Dwight White is one of 22 Steelers that played in four Super Bowls during the 70's decade.  White is in the history books as being the first Steelers player to score in a Super Bowl.  In Super Bowl IX, White recovered a Fran Tarkenton fumble for a safety.  In Super Bowl IX, the Steelers held the Vikings to 17 rushing yards.  The amazing thing about White is when they arrived in New Orleans for Super Bowl IX; White was hospitalized with pneumonia and a lung infection.  In the course of a week, he lost 18 plus pounds but was hell bent on playing.

White recorded 55 sacks wearing the Black and Gold (they didn't have official sack stats then).  White was listed on the Steelers' 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.  Dwight excelled on the football field and played a fierce game.  He also excelled off the field as a stock broker and mentor.  White was mean but a genuinely nice and great guy.  White was a football placer that worked a second job (many had to in the 70's) finding young black kids from Pittsburgh jobs.

But make no mistake, Dwight could play defense.  He'll be missed by many and his death was abrupt.  Watching him play on TV and in person and idolizing the guy makes this a hard loss for me and the Steelers Nation.

"There are circumstances", says Dwight, "when I get so angry and pissed-off that I'll do damage if I don't cool down fast."

"There's no question that I'm schizoid," says White. "I may be three or four people.  I know I can be evil."

Rest in Peace Mad-Dog.