Sharod Lamor "Roddy" White (born November 2, 1981) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire career as a wide receiver with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UAB Blazers, and was selected by the Falcons in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft.
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Early life
White attended James Island High School in Charleston, South Carolina, and was a four-sport letterman and standout in football, baseball, soccer, and wrestling. In football, he was a two-time All-Lowcountry honoree, a two-time All-State honoree, and was also listed as one of the top receivers in the nation on Rivals.com. In wrestling, he was a two-time South Carolina state champion, often pinning his opponent in a move that was coined the "Shanaz".
College career
White attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he was a standout wide receiver for the UAB Blazers football team. He caught 163 passes for 3,112 yards and 26 touchdowns in four seasons. He played under head coach Watson Brown while at UAB. White was inducted into the UAB Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.
2001 season
As a freshman, White recorded meaningful statistics in six games. On October 13, against the Cincinnati Bearcats, he recorded his first collegiate touchdown. On December 12, against the Pitt Panthers, he had a season-high four receptions for 75 yards. Overall, in his freshman season, he recorded 14 receptions for 236 yards and two touchdowns.
2002 season
As a sophomore, White saw an expanded role in the Blazers offense. On October 12, against the Houston Cougars, he recorded four receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown. In the next game against the Tulane Green Wave, he recorded five receptions for 66 yards and another touchdown. On November 16, he had a career-day against the East Carolina Pirates with eight receptions for 159 yards and a touchdown. Overall, in his sophomore season, he recorded 39 receptions for 580 yards and three touchdowns.
2003 season
As a junior, White continued his productive college career with the Blazers. On September 4, against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, he recorded 10 receptions for 111 yards. On October 11, against the Cincinnati Bearcats, he had a breakout day with four receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns. In the last three games of the season, he posted great results: 147 yards and two touchdowns against the Tulane Green Wave, 121 yards and a touchdown against the South Florida Bulls, and 54 yards and a touchdown against the Houston Cougars. Overall, in his junior season, he recorded 39 receptions for 844 yards and seven touchdowns.
2004 season
As a senior, White had his best collegiate season statistically. On September 25, against the Memphis Tigers, he had eight receptions for 177 yards and three touchdowns. On October 9, against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, he had seven receptions for 123 yards and two touchdowns. He had career day against the Tulane Green Wave on October 23, with 10 receptions for 253 yards and a touchdown, and it was his fifth straight game with a touchdown score. On November 13, against the Houston Cougars, he had eight receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns. On November 27, against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, he had four receptions for 132 yards and a touchdown. White helped lead UAB to their first bowl game in school history. In the 2004 Hawaii Bowl, White caught six passes for 113 yards and a touchdown in the 59–40 loss to the Hawaii Warriors. He finished his senior season with 14 touchdowns on 71 receptions for an NCAA-leading 1,452 yards.
Professional career
Atlanta Falcons
White was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft with the 27th overall pick. He was the sixth wide receiver to be selected that year.
Although a high ankle sprain caused him to remain on the sidelines for much of the preseason, he recovered by Week 2 and was put on the team's roster. In Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings, he was inserted in the lineup as the No. 3 receiver. During the course of the game, he recorded 64 yards on 5 catches. However, during the rest of the season, his performance was generally spotty. He made a fantastic leaping catch over three defenders on a trick play against the New Orleans Saints during Week 14 for a 54-yard touchdown, but dropped a crucial touchdown catch the next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In spite of this, he still had 108 yards receiving in that game, the second-highest receiving total put up by a rookie wide receiver in 2005, only surpassed by Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Matt Jones (117 yards vs. the Baltimore Ravens). White ranked fifth among all rookie wide receivers in 2005 with 446 receiving yards.
In the 2006 season, White appeared in all 16 games and started five. He had his best game of the season against the Dallas Cowboys where he had three receptions for 104 yards. His performance in his second season increased in comparison to his rookie season. He recorded 30 receptions for 505 yards in his second season.
On September 23, against the Carolina Panthers, White had seven receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown. A few weeks later, against the New Orleans Saints, he had eight receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown. On November 22, against the Indianapolis Colts, he had six receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown. In the next game, against the St. Louis Rams, he had 10 receptions for a season-high 146 yards and a touchdown. In the penultimate game of his third season, he had 12 receptions for 141 yards against the Arizona Cardinals.
In a game against the New Orleans Saints, White showed his support for fellow Falcon Michael Vick by wearing a T-shirt that said "Free Mike Vick" and pulling up his jersey after scoring a touchdown. Earlier that day, Vick was sentenced to 23 months in jail on dogfighting charges. White was fined $10,000 by the league for his actions.
Retirement
After not playing at all in the 2016 season, White officially announced his retirement from the NFL on April 14, 2017. On June 12, 2017, White retired as an Atlanta Falcon.
On June 24, 2017, White and Michael Vick were both honored by the Falcons with a retirement ceremony.
On June 11, 2019, the Falcons announced that White will be inducted into the Falcons Ring of Honor.
White was inducted into the Falcons Ring of Honor during the game against the Carolina Panthers on December 8, 2019.
Career statistics
Career highlights
Awards and honors
NFL
First-team All-Pro (2010)
4× Pro Bowl (2008–2011)
NFL receptions leader (2010)
Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor
3× NFL Top 100 — 24th (2011), 65th (2012), 39th (2013)
College
Third-team All-American (2004)
NCAA receiving yards leader (2004)
Falcons franchise records
Most receiving yards in a half (185)
Most receptions in a playoff game (11) (tied with Julio Jones)
Most receiving touchdowns in a career (63)
Most career starts for a wide receiver (149)
Most games played as a wide receiver (171)
Personal life
White is the father of five children.
His half-brother, Tyrone Moore Jr., was shot dead outside the Lake House Club nightclub in James Island, South Carolina on May 18, 2014. White currently coaches wide receivers at Johns Creek High School in Johns Creek, Georgia.
Controversy
In 2007, White was fined $10,000 by the NFL for displaying a shirt in support of Michael Vick who was at the time serving a prison sentence for a criminal conviction related to dog fighting.
At the conclusion of the 2013 George Zimmerman trial, White was upset with the verdict of not guilty, and he posted several controversial statements on Twitter, including "Fucking Zimmerman got away with murder today wow what kind of world do we live in". He received the most backlash for the following tweet: "All them jurors should go home tonight and kill themselves for letting a grown man get away with killing a kid". After a few hours, he complained that "people on Twitter want me to get in trouble for a tweet", but he apologized the next day.
In 2014, White was criticized for reneging on a public bet he tweeted regarding a Duke win in the 2014 NCAA basketball championship. White had promised season tickets, front row at the 50-yard line. When White lost the bet, he offered a ticket to a Bears game instead. White later upheld his end of the deal and more, including two Super Bowl tickets stating, "We have talked about it for days while people were just speculating. And being a father, you have to be responsible for your actions."