Bradley Dee White, 63, passed away Saturday, July 16, 2022, at home with his family at his side.
Brad, known affectionately as “Big Brad”, was an individual larger than life. Born on August 18, 1958, in Rexburg, Idaho, Brad was instilled with a strong work ethic while growing up on his family’s farm. Being the oldest of 4 children, contributing to the workload on the family farm was a requirement. From a young age, Brad embraced the opportunity to be outdoors just as the outdoors embraced him. He loved spending time hunting, fishing, and playing on the farm. Brad began playing football in 4th grade and was coached by his dad all the way through youth football. Brad soon became a football star and state wrestling champ at Skyline High School. He was all-state in both wrestling and football and was also the state champion in shotput and discus. Later in his life, Brad was named one of The Top 50 Greatest Sports Figures from Idaho by Sports Illustrated and was inducted into the Idaho High School Football Hall of Fame.
Brad’s accomplishments on the football field led him to signing an athletic scholarship to play defensive line at the University of Tennessee in 1976. He was a member of the early Johnny Majors era of Tennessee football. During his career, he had 19 sacks, 24 tackles for loss, 245 total tackles, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in three years with the Vols. As a result, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted him in the 12th round of the 1981 NFL Draft. Before the NFL, Brad was chosen to play in the 1982 Japan Bowl as well as the 1982 East-West Shrine Bowl.
At 6’2” 256 pounds, Brad was deemed as undersized, but his relentless work ethic allowed him to be an effective player on the football field. He appeared in every game during his three years in Tampa. He went to the Indianapolis Colts in 1984 and appeared in 15 games that year. He went on to become the feature nose tackle for Indy during the 1985 season. Brad finished his career with a final season as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. During his football career, Brad was an overachiever given his size, and he turned out incredible production in the pros during his seven-year career with appearances in 73 games and 18 starts.
Towards the end of his NFL career, Brad met the love of his life, Cathy, in her hometown of Knoxville during the 1984 off-season. After accepting an employment opportunity, Brad and Cathy moved to Florence, Alabama, where they have resided for the past 31 years. Brad worked for Anderson Press and TNT Fireworks, eventually becoming a leader that helped to grow both companies tremendously into where they are today. He made lifelong friends and built impactful relationships with all of those he encountered.
Brad enjoyed football, hunting and fishing, grilling, and spending time with friends. Above all, he loved his family. Brad not only was a loving husband but also a devoted father to their two children, Bailey and Braden. He taught them to dream big, and he supported them every step of the way in their careers. Their home was often filled with the rhythm of a guitar and the voice of Bailey as she practiced to advance her career in music. He loved nothing more than embracing her in the audience at her many gigs. He also loved supporting Braden throughout his football career. Brad’s joy was cheering for Braden while playing youth league football, high school football with the Florence Falcons, and ultimately throughout Braden’s career playing for Texas A&M University. Brad lived every day of his life to the fullest, even in the face of the toughest circumstances. His heart of gold and servant leadership impacted the lives of so many different people in so many different places.
Brad is survived by his wife of 29 years, Catharine Greer White of Knoxville, Tennessee. He is also survived by his daughter, Bailey Sloane White, and his son, William Braden White. Other survivors include brother Scott Dee White (Montgomery, Texas), brother Wade Dee White (Boise, Idaho), and sister Lisa Dee White (Salt Lake City, Utah). He is preceded in death by his father, Darold Dee White, and his mother, Evonne Archibald White.
The family will receive visitors on Tuesday, July 19th, from 5:00-7:00pm at Greenview Memorial Park & Funeral Home on Chisholm Road in Florence. A memorial service will be held the next day on Wednesday, July 20th, at 11:00am in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church in downtown Florence. The burial will be held in a private ceremony following the service. Pallbearers will be Terry Anderson, Braden White, Wade White, Barry Krauss, Jeff Patterson, Mike Bernauer, Carson Anderson, and Keaton Anderson. Honorary pallbearers will be John Chavis, Donnie Oldham, Brad Zundel, Eric Neiman, Brian Holt, Stacey Thigpen, Charles Anderson, Sr., Wayne McCoy, and Robert Malone.
For those who would like to make a donation in memory of Brad, please consider a gift to the National Brain Tumor Society using playhurtproject.com or the following address with “Play Hurt Project” in the memo line:
Attn: Community Events
National Brain Tumor Society
55 Chapel Street, Suite 006
Newton, MA 02458
The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to Dr. Lyman Mitchell and Dr. Charles Farquhar.
