Ed White Trades Blocks For Brushes

The Buffalo Bills led off the 1969 draft selecting OJ Simpson. A couple picks later, the Steelers grabbed “Mean” Joe

Greene. Roger Wehrli went to St. Louis Cardinals at 19. Ted Hendricks was a second rounder, going 33^rd to the Baltimore Colts.

Ed White, drafted by the Minnesota Vikings at 39, lasted longer in the NFL than all of them. The four-time Pro Bowl guard was actually drafted as a defensive lineman out of California and he wasn’t immediately thrilled at the prospect of switching to the line. But he adapted, taking his attacking demeanor to the offensive line, where he spent 17 years playing for Minnesota and San Diego.

From that draft, only Jeff Van Note and Charlie Joiner (whom White played with in San Diego) had longer careers, both by a single year. And during those 17 seasons he played in four Super Bowls and a handful more conference championship games with countless Hall of Fame teammates and coaches on both teams – actually breaking the games played mark set by long-time teammate and Hall of Fame nominee Mick Tingelhoff at the end of his career.

White, in a late-August phone call, walked us through some of his memories of playing with Tingelhoff, Dan Fouts, Fran Tarkenton and for Bud Grant and Don Coryell. He also caught us up on what’s keeping him busy these days – including painting in his studio and watching his son coach the local football team.

Here’s what he had to say:

Zoneblitz: Let’s lead off with your friend and teammate Mick Tingelhoff, who is up for the Hall of Fame this year – what are your recollections of him as a teammate?

White: First of all, when I came to Minnesota as a rookie from California I was put on the offensive line. I was a defensive lineman in college. I was pretty accepted in the group, but Mick made me feel special and a part of what was going on. He had a quietness. I think it was his Nebraska farm boy demeanor – I married a Nebraskan, so I know a lot of Nebraskans and think it’s very typical of the folks from that part of the country. He was very quiet, a good man. He didn’t say much, but when he said something you listened. He was the leader of our offensive line. I appreciated everything he did. I have been amazed that the guy can play in so many Super Bowls, play as long as he did and be in so many Pro Bowls and not be in the Hall of Fame. It’s time. It’s a great thing to see him going in.

Zoneblitz: Transitioning from defense to offense is a big change. How much did Tingelhoff and other teammates help you make that change?

White: You know offensive line is a lot about communication and talking and having confidence in the people next to you. I not only had to make the transition, but the first four games of my rookie year I had to start because our starting guard had appendicitis. Playing against the likes of Bob Lilly and so on. It was quite an experience. I could never have done it if not for Mick and Grady (Alderman) not had the confidence in me. It was a tough transition. The fact that we did have such a veteran line and good leadership made it easier for me.

Zoneblitz: Your mindset was set to still have some of the attacking nature of a defensive player. Would you agree with that assessment?

White: Oh, yea. I definitely played offensive line with a defensive mentality. It probably hurt me a lot of times too. I didn’t always necessarily think things through. I approached it in more of an animalistic style rather than thoughtfulness. That’s something as I got older I became a little better at, but I always felt that getting into someone as quickly and aggressively as you could was one of the keys to success and that mentality is how I played the game.

Zoneblitz: Your approach seemed to have worked – out of the entire 1969 draft, you outlasted everyone except Jeff Van Note and Charlie Joyner, both of whom played one year longer.

White: Wow. Is that right. I don’t know if it’s mentioned as one of the best drafts, but there were a lot of great players in that draft. OJ Simpson, Joe Greene, and on and on. There were a bunch of guys in that draft.

Zoneblitz: While it might have been deep, it looked like you saved the Vikings from having a weaker draft that season?

White: I appreciate that, but I think Bud (Grant’s) philosophy was to keep a group of people together. I think that’s what made it so hard. I don’t think the drafting was so bad, I think Bud just wanted to keep that nucleus together. I think it went for a time where there was only one rookie who made it. Maybe the next year or two years later nobody made it.

To me, I attribute that to our success – and later our downfall, because everybody got so old at the same time. And you can’t replace everybody. But like I said, with the O-line, it’s about communication. A big part of my success was based on the fact that I played next to only two centers, Mick Tingelhoff and Don Macek – both excellent centers. And through most of my career, next to two tackles – Russ Washington in San Diego and Ron Yary in Minnesota – and Grady for a couple years. I played next to very few people and that made my job a lot easier because the communication – and the non-verbal communication -0 just knowing how to pick up stunts and knowing how guys are going to be doing things next to you, that was so important. I was really lucky.

I think the philosophy of Bud – and I certainly used it in my work as a coach in college and the pros – was to get some continuity with players and make a decision and let those guys play together. That I think is why not too many rookies made it. It was a joke – it wasn’t funny – but we all knew there was going to be one veteran who was going to get cut. That kept everybody working their fannies off.

Zoneblitz: You mentioned a couple of the who’s who of offensive linemen, but you also played with some pretty interesting skill position players – Dan Fouts, Fran Tarkenton – and you ended up in the Air Coryell era in San Diego. What was it like shifting from Minnesota to San Diego and the more wide open offense?

White: It was a radical departure. First of all, I went from Bud, who was obviously a Hall of Fame, super coach who was quiet – you looked out of the corner of your eye to make sure he wasn’t going to say anything to you, and most of the time he didn’t.

But he let you be a man and he wanted you to make the right decisions. He did things like we’d go to camp last, but we’d check out pads and work out like we were in camp because we wanted to go in shape. That was the key. He gave us the freedom to stay home and enjoy our offseason a little longer but he wanted us to be in tip-top shape because we knew he was going to work our fannies off and we were going to play every second of the preseason. That’s how we did it. And we respected him and the staff and the way they did it. That was a great thing.

On the other side of the coin, I had coach Coryell, who I think equally should be in the Hall of Fame. There are a lot of guys who should be in the Hall of Fame, but in my opinion, Coach Coryell was an innovator in the passing game, an innovator – brought the I-Formation to football when he was at USC under John McKay. He was loose. It was a totally different deal for me.

The other aspect of it was when I left I was still a little heady. I was still one of the youngest guys on the team at 30 years old. So I go to San Diego and I was one of the oldest. So by basis of default by basis of my years and seniority, I became a leader. I guess I was leading in my own way in Minnesota, but in reality, the captain of the team. It was a totally different role I had when I went to San Diego.

The game itself with Coach Coryell and Ernie Zampese and Joe Gibbs and my coaches, Jim Hanifan – phenomenal coaches – Dave Levy. And John Michels in Minnesota. I had great line coaches and great head coaches. But the contrasts of the game were amazing. To me one of my strengths was always pass blocking and going into that type of system, I thrived in it – it’s probably why I was able to play so long because we were more of a passing team and it fit in with my strengths.

It was fun. It was an energizing thing because it was new. It was a homecoming for me because I was born and raised in San Diego, so I had family who could finally see the games, which was nice.

And in Minnesota, it was a wonderful experience where I had my family. We lived out on a lake in Rosemount, and we absolutely loved it. If I hadn’t gotten traded, I’d probably still be on the lake in Rosemount.

Zoneblitz: So was the leaving contentious?

White: Early on it probably was, not so much from my part, but I felt it from certain people that I had kind of abandoned the ship. But at the same time, I had to do what was right for my family. Based on the pay structure in Minnesota and how it was I couldn’t get paid what I should have been paid based on the guards of the league. Otherwise it would knock everything out of line. So I could understand where they were coming from. So, the first person to hold out was Bud Grant, so I don’t think he’s holding it against me.

Zoneblitz: Is it true you felt the move ended up extending your career?

White: Yeah, there’s no question I think it did. You fall down a lot playing O-Line and in the winter time falling down on that frozen tundra is not fun. I think it really did extend my career. I think the type of game we played extended it. I felt youthful because the team was so young.

Zoneblitz: I saw a couple media reports that after 17 years you were ready to go back for another season until a knee problem wouldn’t go away. How is your health now days?

White: My health right now is pretty good, though I just stumbled and tore my calf muscle a couple weeks ago and just got off crutches. I wish I could say I did it ice fishing or something, but it was a non-athletic event. I’m actually doing pretty well. I get out and surf and enjoy that. Carl Eller came out last year and I took him out surfing. He ended up watching his wife surf with me. I get out on the water a little bit and that’s always nice. I live a peaceful life – a charmed life up in the mountains, in the woods in a nice community. My son’s the head football coach – they play 8-man football. So it’s pretty nice and I feel good about that.

Injury-wise and health-wise, I had a knee replaced, but I’m chugging’ along. For 67 feeling pretty good.

I think I was still playing pretty good football. I know I was. What happened was the last game of the season before my last year was a playoff game against Houston and Curley Culp knocked me over at the end of the play. There was a lineman behind me who had been knocked down. Culp pushed me over backward and I had my foot caught and it ripped my tendon from the bone. And I had surgery, but after that I never really was able to do much. And Coach Coryell offered me a job coaching, so I thought that was a nice way of saying it’s time to retire. So from there I went into coaching.

Zoneblitz: You got to play in four Super Bowls in Minnesota and came close a couple times in San Diego. During your time with the Chargers, you played in one of the weirdest playoff sequences imaginable, going from the sweltering heat in Miami one week to one of the coldest games in history in Cincinnati the next. What was that like?

White: I think it 103 or 101 in Miami and the humidity was the same. And we flew all the way back and then in to Cincinnati and the wind chill was 80 below. It was the coldest game I ever played in – it was much colder than any game I ever played in Minnesota. The game should have been moved, but Paul Brown was so powerful he wouldn’t let it happen. I know Dan Fouts got frostbite, a couple guys got frostbite. I think a fan or two died, it was so cold. It wasn’t football. It was a shame. In all honesty, it was probably the most talented team I ever played on. Because at that time the Chargers defense was very good. It matched the offense.

The two teams in contrast, most of the career, the offense was dominating and in Minnesota it was the defense, and our offense was three yards and a cloud of dust. We maintained ball control and did the things necessary, but our defense was a big play defense and we relied on them and they always came through.

San Diego was kind of the opposite. That particular year was the perfect storm. We had Fred Dean (early in the season before he was traded to San Francisco) and Gary (“Big Hands”) Johnson and Louie Kelcher. It was a stout group of defenders. And then to go and have to play in that condition where you’re all bundled up – I went out and I was going to show them, I played in Minnesota. I couldn’t get in and get clothes on fast enough. So it was beyond anything – the game should have been not played. It wasn’t football by any means. … That was not a good place to showcase our offense.

Zoneblitz: Any of the four Super Bowl games you think about that you’d like to have back or that you think about and say ‘a bounce here or a break there and you might have a ring or two?’

White: I’d like to have them all back. I don’t know. I’ve spent all kinds of time talking to people and thinking about it. The only thing I know is we had darn good football teams all four of those years and we were the second best team in the all of football, and that’s pretty good.

It’s a shame that the ball didn’t bounce one way or another and you wish you could take back a play or two. Yeah, some of them were closer than others. Some of them almost one event changed the face of an entire game. That’s too bad, but that’s the way football is. That’s what makes it exciting and a bit unpredictable. But I think going in we felt like we could win and it just wasn’t in the cards any of those times. All of us played as hard as we could as good as we could and I think on any given day we could have beaten any of the teams we played. Most of the teams when we played them the following year during the season we beat them, so who knows. I don’t know what it was.

Zoneblitz: After you finished playing, you got into coaching. At least a couple players – including Kyle Turley – were highly complimentary of how much you helped them. Was that a good fit for you?

White: It was. It’s very difficult to leave professional football. Everybody struggles because first of all, you’re earning – even when I played we earned more than the average bear earns – and when you get done and you have to go get a job that doesn’t relate in any way to what you are doing, it can get frustrating and mentally difficult.

A lot of times you might be living at a standard of living where it’s hard to shut the spigot off. All of a sudden the income stops – that’s what happens today, these kids can’t stop the expense and they’re worse off than when they started five or six years down the road. It’s kind of sad, but it’s the way it is. It’s a really hard transition, something that psychologically – you know, people are doing things for you, you feel like you’re special and then all of a sudden you are invisible. The spotlight is not on you.

It’s an ego thing, it’s a real emotional experience – plus the reality of not getting that big paycheck each week it’s like being hooked up to 220. I was fortunate in that I was able to transition in a lot of ways. I loved it, I loved the part of football that gave me the feeling of being a part of being a part of a group, a team that had a common goal, a machine that had to work. I loved all of that and also working with young people for direction – for example, Kyle. Kyle had a tough time early on in school. On all the tests I sent home with him he’d have a drawing of a surfer or something – and it was good. So I said Kyle, why don’t you take some art classes. I think you would really like it and be good at it. He shifted over and started doing well in the art classes and all of a sudden he started doing well in a bunch of the other classes.

Things like that, giving a little bit of positive direction, really turn me on. So I really enjoyed it. I just got burned out. I can’t hardly watch another film. After 100 years in football I couldn’t see myself at 70 years old running that projector.

So anyway, that was it. I started getting into what I love to do, which is paint and sculpt and do art.

Zoneblitz: That’s one of the things that jumped out at me – you’ve gotten into the art business. How did that happen?

White: I’m a collector – I’m collecting my own art. I don’t really do it as a business. I’m not focused on selling art, I am focused on doing it. To me you either are doing it or you’re watering it down by trying to figure out how to sell it. You’re doing shows and you’re going places.

A friend of mine said ‘why don’t you come up to Newport Beach, there’s a lot of money in the area, people want to spend it on art.’ I took two pieces up there – I took a modern abstract and I took a fishing boat – I like to do boats. They’re both big pieces and one of them sold. But I don’t do that. I’d rather go up in my studio and paint. I was blessed to A) work a long time and B) we’ve been fairly conservative with what we’ve done. We have a nice family and we’re happy with what we have and where we are at, so I can focus on my painting.

Zoneblitz: It’s quite a bit different than playing football – have you always had this in your blood?

White: I’ve been an artist my whole life since I was a little kid. I’ve always done art. Years ago I went back to my high school and went walking around the school and went to the front office and in the display case there was a painting I did when I was in high school.

So, yeah, I’ve always been an artist. When I was in Minnesota I did pictures for guys. I did a big picture for Ozzie [Dave Osborn] that he has up in his house. It’s a gift that I have that I enjoy using.

Zoneblitz: Sounds like you’ve got a pretty good setting and that post-career is treating you well?

White: Yep, it’s an old gold mining town about an hour and 20 minutes east of Julian in about a 5,000 foot elevation in the pine trees and oaks and it’s pretty darn nice. Doing well.

Zoneblitz: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

White: I just feel so good for Mick. It’s just such a well deserved event . He’s getting in. And I know I’m booking that date myself, because he was a special teammate to me and a special person. I love him. And I’m so happy for him.