Roddy White and the “White Five”

The Atlanta Falcons and Roddy White announced earlier on Tuesday that Roddy would be the 11th member inducted into the Atlanta Falcons ring of honor.

Let us go back to 2005 for just a moment. The debate was Alex Smith or Aaron Rodgers at QB and which Auburn RB, Ronnie Brown or Cadillac Williams, would be drafted first. There were a lot of available WR’s and not many had University of Alabama-Birmingham star Roddy White on their radar.

However, the Falcons did. Someone had done their homework.

Roddy was taken 27th overall that night in late April. Overall, there would be 31 WR’s taken over two days and seven rounds. Yes, I said two days. The draft was not quite the circus that is now. There were six WR’s taken in the first round; Roddy would be the sixth.

We all know about the “Brady 6” – the QB’s that all went ahead of Tom Brady in the 2000 NFL draft, but what about the “White 5”? Who were the five that went ahead of Roddy in 2005?

• Braylon Edwards – Michigan
• Troy Williamson – South Carolina
• Mike Williams – USC
• Matt Jones – Arkansas
• Mark Clayton – Oklahoma

As mentioned above, there were 31 total receivers taken in 2005. Only four of them would make a pro-bowl, only two of those four would make multiple pro-bowls (Vincent Jackson and Roddy White) and only one would make four pro-bowls. You guessed it, Roddy White.

Not only did Roddy White play more seasons, score more touchdowns and make more pro-bowls than the other 30 receivers, he is also the only member of the 10-thousand-yard club from the 2005 draft class.

Roddy was the cream of the wide receiver crop in 2005 and the Rich McKay knocked it out the park when he decided to draft a player that no Falcons fan wanted at the time. Had McKay not done his homework, we would never have had the pleasure of watching Roddy for more than a decade in the black and red.

While Roddy will never be enshrined in Canton, he will forever be among the halls here in Atlanta.