Cornelius, N.C. ? Reggie White, a fearsome defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers and one of the NFL’s greatest players, died Sunday, his wife said. He was 43.

The cause of death was not immediately known, however White had a respiratory ailment for several years that affected his sleep, according to Keith Johnson, a pastor serving as family spokesman. An autopsy was scheduled.

“Today our beloved husband, father and friend passed away,” White’s wife, Sara, said in a statement. “His family appreciates your thoughts and prayers as we mourn the loss of Reggie White. We want to thank you in advance for honoring our privacy.”

White died at Presbyterian Hospital, where he was taken after his wife called 911. A police officer was outside White’s Tudor-style home in a gated community and would not let a reporter approach the house.

A two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and ordained minister who was known as the “Minister of Defense,” White played a total of 15 years with Philadelphia, Green Bay and Carolina. He retired after the 2000 season as the NFL’s all-time leader in sacks with 198. The mark since has been passed by Bruce Smith.

“Reggie White was a gentle warrior who will be remembered as one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history,” NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said. “Equally as impressive as his achievements on the field was the positive impact he made off the field and the way he served as a positive influence on so many young people.”

A member of the NFL’s 75th anniversary team, White was elected to the Pro Bowl a record 13 straight times from 1986-98. He was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1987 and 1998.

White and his wife had a son and a daughter: Jeremy, a freshman at Elon University, and Jecolia, a junior in high school.

After an All-American senior season at Tennessee, White began his pro career with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL in 1984. He joined the Philadelphia Eagles, who held his NFL rights, after the USFL folded in 1985. For eight years, he was an integral piece in Philadelphia’s “Gang Green Defense.”

Former Green Bay Packer defensive end Reggie White acknowledges cheers during a ceremony at halftime of a game against Tampa Bay. White's number 92 was retired during the ceremony on Oct. 10, 1999, in Green Bay, Wis. White died Sunday at the age of 43.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie called White “one of the greatest men ever to play the game of football” and said his “legacy on and off the football field will never be forgotten.”

White signed as a free agent with Green Bay in 1993 for $17 million over four years.