William White Dies at 56; Former Lions, Ohio State Safety Diagnosed with ALS in 2016

The former Detroit Lions and Ohio State University safety has died.

Chris Spielman, the special assistant to the president and CEO, was a teammate of White's with the Lions.

Detroit Lions @Lions

We share in the sadness felt today throughout the NFL community following the news of William White’s passing. Drafted by the Lions in the 4th round of the 1988 Draft out of Ohio State, White played 6 seasons in Detroit (1988-1993) & appeared in 95 games (79 starts) for the club. pic.twitter.com/v42P1KnbmA

White was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in 2016 according to Grant Gordon.

White started for the Lions in each of the next five seasons after he was selected in the fourth round of the 1988 draft.

White played two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before retiring after the 1998 season.

White fell just short of winning a Super Bowl in his final season after experiencing limited playoff success.

Atlanta fell to the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl despite White starting 16 regular-season games and playing in three playoff games.