Super Bowl XXVII : THROUGH THE YEARS : Footnotes To History : IX : DWIGHT WHITE : PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Dwight White remembers something even more than his record-tying safety and his part in holding the Vikings to 17 yards rushing during the Steelers’ 16-6 victory in Super Bowl IX.

He remembers that great restaurant in the New Orleans French Quarter, the one where he nearly died the week before the game.

“I still think that place had pretty good seafood,” said White, an investment banker in Pittsburgh.

It also had pretty good ambulance service, which was required when White became sick while eating with Joe Greene on the Steelers’ first night in town. He was rushed to the hospital with what was diagnosed as viral pneumonia.

He spent the entire week before the game in the hospital, and the entire week after the game in the hospital.

“But I was out long enough to play, which is all that matters,” White said. “I guess God takes care of fools and little babies.”

White’s end-zone tackle of Tarkenton in the second quarter gave the Steelers their first points in their first of four Super Bowl victories. White remains one of only five players to record a Super Bowl safety.

And he is perhaps the only player to score two points while playing at 20 pounds below his regular weight.

“I was so sick . . . I don’t think guys play in that condition anymore,” he said. “I don’t know how much I was getting paid, but it wasn’t enough.”

Four players from that starting defensive unit--Mel Blount, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert and Greene--have since made the Hall of Fame. But White still doesn’t think they have earned universal respect as perhaps the best defense ever.

“People talked about the Doomsday defense, and the Purple People Eaters, and the great 49er defense, and Richard Dent and the Chicago Bears . . . and that shows no respect,” White said.

He added, “To talk about those defenses compared to ours, that is apples and oranges. Those defenses aren’t even close to ours. My goodness, at least win a couple of Super Bowls, and then we’ll talk.”

* 1975 AT NEW ORLEANS

Pittsburgh 0 2 7 7 -- 16 Minnesota 0 0 0 6 -- 6

Pit--Safety, White tackled Tarkenton in end zone

Pit--Harris 9 run (Gerela kick)

Min--T. Brown recovered blocked punt in end zone (kick failed)

Pit--L. Brown 4 pass from Bradshaw (Gerela kick)

A--80,997

Winning Coach--Chuck Noll

MVP--Franco Harris