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"It has been an honor to represent my family, my teammates, and the people of New England as a Patriot!," the nine-year veteran posted on social media. "... "Thank you to Mr. Kraft, Coach Belichick, and the entire Patriots organization for giving me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream. To be able to play my entire career for one franchise, in front of the best fans in the NFL, has been a tremendous blessing and honor."
"James White has always been one of the most reliable and dependable players on the field," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. "He's a soft-spoken leader who has led by example ... As great of a player as James has been for us, he's an even better person. He is a man of great character and integrity and earned everyone's respect through his work ethic, professionalism, and positive daily demeanor."
White, 30, spent his entire career in New England. He missed almost all of last season because of a nagging hip injury, and he entered training camp last month on the unable to perform list, which kept him off the field.
White was one of former quarterback Tom Brady's favorite targets during their time together. Though, he's most famous for his heroics during Super Bowl LI, where he scored 20 points to help New England come back from a 25-point deficit and beat the Atlanta Falcons in one of the greatest comebacks of all time. He is the only player in NFL history to have scored a walk-off touchdown in overtime at the Super Bowl.
"James defines the term consummate professional," coach Bill Belichick said, according to ESPN. "His dependability, consistency, unselfishness, and performance under pressure are elite. Combining great intelligence, quickness, and elusiveness, James was a perfect fit for our pass offense. While soft-spoken, he brought exceptional leadership and competitive toughness to the team. He was a multi-year team captain and one of the most respected, best team players I have ever coached."
White retires with more than 4,500 combined rushing and receiving yards and 36 touchdowns.
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