New York Jets quarterback Mike White has been immortalized in Canton
After just one professional start, New York Jets phenomenon Mike White has already made his way into Canton.
Well, sort of.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced via its Twitter account that it has acquired White’s game-worn No. 5 jersey from his historic performance against the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 31, 2021. White’s jersey is displayed in an exhibit alongside a game-used ball from the Jets’ 34-31 upset victory.
New Artifacts: The jersey of @nyjets QB @MikeWhiteQB & game ball from their Week 8 victory. He completed 37 passes for 405 yards & 3 TDs. His 37 completions are the most by a QB in their 1st start. Also became the 2nd QB since 1950 to throw for 400+ yards in debut.#TakeFlight
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) November 3, 2021
White achieved a boatload of all-time feats as he went 37-for-45 with 405 yards and three touchdown passes in his first NFL start.
The Hall of Fame notes that White’s total of 37 completions is an all-time record for a quarterback in his starting debut.
To boot, White’s total of 405 passing yards stands as the second-greatest total ever accumulated by a first-time starter, trailing only Cam Newton’s 422 yards in his NFL debut against the Arizona Cardinals in 2011 (which the Panthers lost by a score of 28-21).
Among Jets quarterbacks making their first career start, White set franchise records for completions, attempts, yards, touchdowns, and completion percentage.
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Even when you take away the “first-time starter” disclaimer, White’s performance is one of the best in Jets history.
White’s total of 405 passing yards stands as the 10th-best in team history and is the organization’s first 400-yard performance since Vinny Testaverde dropped 481 yards on the Ravens in 2000. His total of 37 completions is tied for third-best in franchise history and has not been topped since Testaverde tied Richard Todd’s record (set in 1980) with 42 completions in a 1998 win over Seattle.
Topping it all off, White’s outing is just the fifth in franchise history featuring 400+ yards and a 100.0+ passer rating in a victorius effort, joining two showings by Ken O’Brien (both in 1986) and two by Joe Namath (one in 1967 and one in 1972).
No matter what happens next, White has already cemented a memorable legacy in the football history books.
