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Former Wisconsin running back James White announces NFL retirement

James White is officially retiring after eight seasons in the NFL with the New England Patriots.

Matt Belz

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After an eight-year career in the NFL with the New England Patriots, former Wisconsin running back James White has decided to call it quits, and is officially retiring from the NFL. 

The three-time Super Bowl Champion shared his retirement on Thursday, taking to Twitter to make the announcement.

Starring with the Patriots for approaching a decade this fall, White was a fourth-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, and spent his entire professional career in Foxboro. 

In addition to winning three Super Bowls, White was a consistent performer in New England, primarily working as a third-down back out of the backfield. He recorded five straight seasons with over 375 receiving yards from 2015-2020, catching passes from NFL great Tom Brady. In the end, White finishes his career with over 3,200 receiving yards and 1,278 rushing yards in his eight seasons. However, maybe his most impressive statistic is that he never lost a fumble in the NFL. 

While White was rarely the featured back with the Patriots, he had 36 total touchdowns, and nearly won MVP of Super Bowl LI with 29 rushing yards, 110 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. 

A former standout at Wisconsin, James White will go down as one of the more underrated players in the history of Wisconsin Badgers football.

A star tailback at Wisconsin from 2010-2013, White was the No. 2 running back behind fellow stars Montee Ball, John Clay, and Melvin Gordon during his career in Madison. 

White burst onto the scene as a true freshman, rushing for over 1,000 yards and recording 14 touchdowns in his first season, earning consensus Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. He was also recognized as a second-team All-Big Ten selection by media members.

During his sophomore and junior seasons, White once again flourished while playing in every game for the Badgers, and finishing second on the team in rushing both years. As a sophomore, he flashed his all-purpose abilities, with 1,178 all-purpose yards that season. 

As a senior, White was a preseason Doak Walker Award Watch List selection and went on to rush for over 1,400 yards, while also hauling in 300 receiving yards with 17 combined touchdowns.

For his career, White finished with 4,015 rushing yards and 45 touchdowns, both of which rank inside the top six in program history. His 45 touchdowns also rank inside the top-10 in Big Ten history, ironically tying his former college teammate Melvin Gordon for that distinction. 

In all, White played in 52 games with the Badgers, making 12 starts and exceeding the 100-yard mark 18 times during his career. 

Sharing the backfield with Melvin Gordon and Montee Ball, White combined with teammates to give UW multiple 100-yard rushers in a game 15 times. 

Nicknamed "Sweet Feet" for his quickness, White will go down as one of the very best to do it in a Wisconsin uniform. 

He joins former teammate Beau Allen, who also retired this off-season. 

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Matt Belz
MATT BELZ

Title: Publisher, Beat Writer for AllBadgers.com, a Sports Illustrated Channel Hello, my name is Matt Belz, and I am the site manager at All Badgers. I previously wrote for multiple years at Buckeyes 5th Quarter and have been the leading publisher here since March of 2022.  When I am not covering the Wisconsin Badgers football and men's basketball teams, I enjoy being outside and spending time with family and friends.  You can follow everything I write about on several different platforms. First and foremost on our site...AllBadgers.com You can follow me personally on Twitter at @savedbythebelz or check out our Facebook page at Wisconsin FanNation on Sports Illustrated.

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