|
White died in Newport Beach, Calif., the school said in an
obituary.
White led USC to the 1978 national title and a 42-6-1 record in
his four years. He was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of
Fame in 1995 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
"He was the toughest player I've ever coached," said John
Robinson, White's former coach at USC and in the NFL with the
Los Angeles Rams. "He was really unusual in that regard. He was
a great player and just loved playing the game. Those are the
things I remember the most. He was a really tough guy, and he
was an extremely gifted athlete. But the toughness ... wow!"
White remains USC's career rushing leader, with 6,245 yards. He
scored 49 career touchdowns for the Trojans.
He rushed for 2,050 yards in 1979, tops in the nation en route
to winning the Heisman.
White was selected No. 27 overall by the Cleveland Browns in the
1980 draft and went on to rush for 3,075 yards and 23 TDs in an
eight-year career with the Browns (1980-82, 1984) and Rams
(1985-88).
He earned Pro Bowl and first team All-Pro honors in 1987, when
he led the league with 1,374 yards rushing and 11 TDs.
White returned to USC in 1990 as a special assistant to the
athletic director. In 1993, USC made him an assistant coach in
charge of running backs, a position he held through 1997.
--Field Level Media
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
