# Roddy White
**Roddy White** (born 1981) is a former [American football](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-football) wide receiver who spent all 11 seasons of his NFL career with the [Atlanta Falcons](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlanta-falcons), from 2005 to 2015, and finished as the all-time leading receiver in franchise history with 808 receptions for 10,863 yards and 63 touchdowns.[1](https://www.nfl.com/news/former-falcons-wr-roddy-white-announces-retirement-0ap3000000800182) • [2](https://www.atlantafalcons.com/team/history/ring-of-honor/roddy-white) An All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, he was inducted into the Falcons Ring of Honor as its 11th member in December 2019.[2](https://www.atlantafalcons.com/team/history/ring-of-honor/roddy-white)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1981; 6 ft 0 in, 211 lb[3](https://statvault.org/players/nfl/roddy-white?chapter=story) |
| College | UAB (Alabama-Birmingham), 2001–2004; 163 receptions, 3,112 yards, 26 touchdowns[4](https://uabsports.com/news/2017/10/13/football-hall-of-fame-q-a-roddy-white) |
| Draft | First round, 27th overall, 2005 NFL Draft, by the Atlanta Falcons[1](https://www.nfl.com/news/former-falcons-wr-roddy-white-announces-retirement-0ap3000000800182) |
| NFL career | 11 seasons, all with Atlanta; 171 games, 808 receptions, 10,863 yards, 63 touchdowns[1](https://www.nfl.com/news/former-falcons-wr-roddy-white-announces-retirement-0ap3000000800182) |
| Honors | Four Pro Bowls, one All-Pro; Falcons Ring of Honor (11th member, December 2019)[2](https://www.atlantafalcons.com/team/history/ring-of-honor/roddy-white) |
| Best season | 2010: 115 catches, 1,389 yards, 10 touchdowns[2](https://www.atlantafalcons.com/team/history/ring-of-honor/roddy-white) |
| Franchise records | Led the Falcons in career receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns at retirement[1](https://www.nfl.com/news/former-falcons-wr-roddy-white-announces-retirement-0ap3000000800182) • [5](https://ashof.org/inductees/roddy-white/) |
## College career at UAB
White played at the [University of Alabama at Birmingham](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-alabama-at-birmingham) from 2001 to 2004 and became one of the most productive receivers in school history.[4](https://uabsports.com/news/2017/10/13/football-hall-of-fame-q-a-roddy-white) His collegiate career peaked in the 2004 season, when he caught 71 receptions (third in school history) for 1,452 yards (second) and 14 touchdowns (first), earning All-American honors from several publications, including first-team recognition from Pro Football Weekly.[4](https://uabsports.com/news/2017/10/13/football-hall-of-fame-q-a-roddy-white)
He finished his UAB career with 163 receptions for 3,112 yards and 26 touchdowns, ranking second in school history in career touchdowns, third in career receptions, and holding the single-game receiving record of 253 yards at Tulane in 2004, with a career average of 19.09 yards per catch.[4](https://uabsports.com/news/2017/10/13/football-hall-of-fame-q-a-roddy-white) • [6](https://uabsports.com/news/2005/4/23/uab_s_roddy_white_selected_as_no_27_pick_of_nfl_draft_by_atlanta_falcons) He was part of the first bowl-eligible team in program history, which played in the school's first bowl game during his senior year.[4](https://uabsports.com/news/2017/10/13/football-hall-of-fame-q-a-roddy-white) In the 2005 NFL Draft, the Falcons selected him 27th overall, making him the second first-round draft choice in UAB program history.[6](https://uabsports.com/news/2005/4/23/uab_s_roddy_white_selected_as_no_27_pick_of_nfl_draft_by_atlanta_falcons)
## Atlanta Falcons career
**Slow start and breakout.** White began his professional career modestly, with 446 receiving yards as a rookie in 2005 and 506 in 2006.[7](https://www.si.com/nfl/falcons/onsi/news/atlanta-falcons-roddy-white-2021-pro-football-hall-of-fame-nominations-peyton-manning-calvin-johnson) His breakout came in 2007, when he caught 83 passes for 1,202 yards, a season in which quarterback [Michael Vick](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-vick) was absent and [Joey Harrington](https://www.edgepedia.org/joey-harrington) and [Byron Leftwich](https://www.edgepedia.org/byron-leftwich) took snaps.[7](https://www.si.com/nfl/falcons/onsi/news/atlanta-falcons-roddy-white-2021-pro-football-hall-of-fame-nominations-peyton-manning-calvin-johnson) That year began a stretch of at least 1,000 receiving yards in six consecutive seasons.[2](https://www.atlantafalcons.com/team/history/ring-of-honor/roddy-white) In 2008 he set a then-franchise record with 1,382 yards and earned his first Pro Bowl berth, and he became the first player in club history to post back-to-back 1,200-yard campaigns.[8](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1579290530/patriots/zvw2itssipheomhxhcjm.pdf)
**Peak years.** White's best statistical season was 2010, with 115 catches for 1,389 yards and 10 touchdowns.[2](https://www.atlantafalcons.com/team/history/ring-of-honor/roddy-white) He remained the Falcons' top receiver until rookie [Julio Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/julio-jones) arrived in 2011, after which his numbers and role gradually decreased, though he was still an integral part of the 2012 squad that reached the NFC Championship game.[7](https://www.si.com/nfl/falcons/onsi/news/atlanta-falcons-roddy-white-2021-pro-football-hall-of-fame-nominations-peyton-manning-calvin-johnson) The pairing of White in his prime with the developing Jones was the intended receiving combination behind the trade that brought Jones to Atlanta.[9](https://www.nfl.com/news/jones-gives-falcons-extra-aerial-weapon-in-battle-with-giants-09000d5d825c0948) White played a significant role in Atlanta's most successful run as a franchise from 2008 to 2012, when the Falcons won the [NFC South](https://www.edgepedia.org/nfc-south) twice and made four postseason trips, and he was a unanimous selection, alongside [Tony Gonzalez](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-gonzalez), Matt Ryan, and Julio Jones, to the franchise's 2010–19 All-Decade Team.[10](https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/roddy-white-tony-gonzalez-matt-ryan-and-julio-jones-named-falcons-unanimous-all-)
**Final season and release.** In 2015, his final season, White recorded 43 catches for 506 yards and one touchdown, his lowest totals since 2006.[11](https://www.nfl.com/news/roddy-white-falcons-lost-because-of-my-limited-role-0ap3000000673406) He said the coaching staff, including offensive coordinator [Kyle Shanahan](https://www.edgepedia.org/kyle-shanahan), had not been fully honest with him about his role, and he attributed the Falcons' season to his limited use.[11](https://www.nfl.com/news/roddy-white-falcons-lost-because-of-my-limited-role-0ap3000000673406) The Falcons released him in March 2016, a move general manager Thomas Dimitroff called one of the most difficult decisions of his career; White was set to cost a little more than $6 million against the salary cap that year.[12](https://www.nfl.com/news/roddy-white-cut-after-11-seasons-with-atlanta-falcons-0ap3000000640801)
## Retirement and recognition
White announced his retirement on April 14, 2017, in a series of tweets, just over a year after his release, thanking owner [Arthur Blank](https://www.edgepedia.org/arthur-blank) and the organization for his 11 years with the team.[1](https://www.nfl.com/news/former-falcons-wr-roddy-white-announces-retirement-0ap3000000800182) He said he would move into high school coaching, reportedly joining the staff at Johns Creek High School in Johns Creek, Georgia.[1](https://www.nfl.com/news/former-falcons-wr-roddy-white-announces-retirement-0ap3000000800182)
At retirement he was the franchise leader in nearly every receiving category, and he remains the Falcons' career leader in receiving touchdowns.[1](https://www.nfl.com/news/former-falcons-wr-roddy-white-announces-retirement-0ap3000000800182) • [5](https://ashof.org/inductees/roddy-white/) Julio Jones later passed White's franchise record of 808 career receptions, finishing the 2018 season with 848 catches.[13](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/titans/qbmjf2fttxnnphqucyjh) White was inducted into the UAB Athletics Hall of Fame in October 2017[4](https://uabsports.com/news/2017/10/13/football-hall-of-fame-q-a-roddy-white) and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.[5](https://ashof.org/inductees/roddy-white/) He was among 14 first-year eligible players nominated for the 2021 [Pro Football Hall of Fame](https://www.edgepedia.org/pro-football-hall-of-fame) ballot.[7](https://www.si.com/nfl/falcons/onsi/news/atlanta-falcons-roddy-white-2021-pro-football-hall-of-fame-nominations-peyton-manning-calvin-johnson)
## Playing style and career shape
White's career totals place him among the most productive receivers of his era: 808 receptions, 10,863 yards, and 63 touchdowns, with a career average of 13.4 yards per catch and a long reception of 90 yards.[1](https://www.nfl.com/news/former-falcons-wr-roddy-white-announces-retirement-0ap3000000800182) • [14](https://www.nfl.com/players/roddy-white/stats/career) His peak ran from 2007 through 2012, during which he caught between 83 and 115 passes every season and topped 1,200 yards four times.[14](https://www.nfl.com/players/roddy-white/stats/career) His 2010 total of 115 receptions stood as a Falcons single-season mark, and his 2009 season included an 11-touchdown campaign on 85 catches for 1,153 yards.[14](https://www.nfl.com/players/roddy-white/stats/career) Commentators have noted the contrast between his slow first two seasons and the sustained production that followed, a shape that made him a frequent example in discussions of receivers who develop late.[7](https://www.si.com/nfl/falcons/onsi/news/atlanta-falcons-roddy-white-2021-pro-football-hall-of-fame-nominations-peyton-manning-calvin-johnson)
## References
1. [Former Falcons WR Roddy White announces retirement, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/former-falcons-wr-roddy-white-announces-retirement-0ap3000000800182)
2. [Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor](https://www.atlantafalcons.com/team/history/ring-of-honor/roddy-white)
3. [Roddy White NFL Stats, Career Profile & VAL, StatVault](https://statvault.org/players/nfl/roddy-white?chapter=story)
4. [Hall of Fame Q&A - Roddy White, UAB Athletics](https://uabsports.com/news/2017/10/13/football-hall-of-fame-q-a-roddy-white)
5. [Roddy White, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame](https://ashof.org/inductees/roddy-white/)
6. [UAB's Roddy White Selected As No. 27 Pick Of NFL Draft By Atlanta Falcons, UAB Athletics](https://uabsports.com/news/2005/4/23/uab_s_roddy_white_selected_as_no_27_pick_of_nfl_draft_by_atlanta_falcons)
7. [Roddy White Nominated for Hall of Fame - Should He Get In?, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/nfl/falcons/onsi/news/atlanta-falcons-roddy-white-2021-pro-football-hall-of-fame-nominations-peyton-manning-calvin-johnson)
8. [Atlanta Falcons media guide profile of Roddy White, NFL club document](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1579290530/patriots/zvw2itssipheomhxhcjm.pdf)
9. [Jones gives Falcons extra aerial weapon in battle with Giants, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/jones-gives-falcons-extra-aerial-weapon-in-battle-with-giants-09000d5d825c0948)
10. [Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez, Matt Ryan and Julio Jones named Falcons' unanimous all-decade selections, AtlantaFalcons.com](https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/roddy-white-tony-gonzalez-matt-ryan-and-julio-jones-named-falcons-unanimous-all-)
11. [Roddy White: Falcons lost because of my limited role, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/roddy-white-falcons-lost-because-of-my-limited-role-0ap3000000673406)
12. [Roddy White cut after 11 seasons with Atlanta Falcons, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/roddy-white-cut-after-11-seasons-with-atlanta-falcons-0ap3000000640801)
13. [Atlanta Falcons media notes on Julio Jones surpassing Roddy White's franchise reception record](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/titans/qbmjf2fttxnnphqucyjh)
14. [Roddy White Career Stats, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/players/roddy-white/stats/career)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Wide receivers › Retired NFL wide receivers › 2000s and later retired receivers › Surnames J to W*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license