Pat White (American football)

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Pat White
Pat White during pre-game warmups before the 2007 East Carolina ballgame
College	West Virginia
Sport	Football
Position	QB
Class	Senior
Nickname	The Chief^[1]
Career	2005 – present
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Nationality	USA
Born	February 25, 1986 (1986-02-25) (age 22) Daphne, Alabama
High school	Daphne High School
Awards
2005 Freshman All-American 2006 First-team All-Big East 2006 Big East Offensive Player of the Year 2007 First-team All-Big East 2007 Big East Offensive Player of the Year 2007 Alabama Athlete of the Year 2007 Gator Bowl MVP 2007 Heisman 6th Place 2007 Hardman Award 2008 Hardman Award 2008 ESPN All-Bowl Team 2008 Fiesta Bowl MVP 2008 Playboy All-American

Patrick “Pat” White (born February 25, 1986 in Daphne, Alabama) is the current starting quarterback for the nationaly ranked West Virginia Mountaineers and one of the leading candidates for the 2008 Heisman Trophy. White finished 4th in the 2007 Heisman Trophy balloting and earned the 2008 Fiesta Bowl MVP award, while being named Big East Offensive Player of the Year in 2006 and 2007 and being named a Playboy All-American in 2008. White also has the nickname, The Chief, due to an Indian chief tattoo on his right arm.^[2]

Pat White and Steve Slaton were the third duo in FBS history to rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons (the other two being Laurence Maroney & Marion Barber and Reggie Bush & LenDale White). Their three-year career together ended with 13,433 total yards and 106 total touchdowns combined. White and Slaton's 7,429 rushing yards together also edges out Maroney & Barber's and Bush & White's career totals.

Patrick White has broken numerous WVU, Big East, and NCAA records in his career, which are listed below.

[edit] Early and Personal life

Patrick was voted 3rd in the Mr. Football for Alabama his senior high school season. His senior season he rushed for 1,905 yards and 31 touchdowns at Daphne High. He also passed for 1,488 yards and 15 touchdowns. He became a class 6-A All-State first string for football, but played pitcher in baseball as well. He became the fourth-round draft pick of the Anaheim Angels in the 2004 MLB Draft. White continues to impress MLB scouts by being selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 50th round of the 2008 MLB June Draft, despite not playing baseball since his senior year of high school.

Patrick was being pursued by West Virginia University, Auburn, University of Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt. However, West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez and offensive line coach Rick Trickett promised White a chance to play quarterback in college, and he eventually signed his letter of intent to WVU.

Patrick's younger brother, Coley White, is a high school quarterback who was offered scholarships for the 2008 recruiting class from West Virginia, Middle Tennessee State, and Central Michigan. On February 5, 2008, Coley chose to attend West Virginia University on a football scholarship.^[3]

[edit] Collegiate career

[edit] 2005

Pat White passed up a MLB career and a 6-figure salary with the Anaheim Angels to play college football. Patrick began the season as a co-starter along with Adam Bednarik. He started his season out against Syracuse, with 63 yards passing and 20 yards rushing. In the 35-7 victory over Wofford, White passed for 82 yards on 6 passes out of 10, and rushed for 107 yards and a score. In the 31-19 victory over Maryland, White rushed for 62 yards on 9 carries. In the 20-15 victory over ECU, White scored his first ever passing touchdown of his collegiate career and added 64 yards passing. In the 34-17 loss to Virginia Tech, White came into the game in the second half. He totaled 9 passes out of 11 attempts for 85 yards for 2 touchdowns and 44 yards on the ground.

White's shared time with Bednarik continued until the seventh game of the season against Louisville. With WVU down 24-7, White came in to replace an injured Bednarik and led the Mountaineers to a 46-44, triple overtime victory. He teamed-up with freshman running back Steve Slaton to lead the Mountaineers with his 118 total yards on the game, while Slaton scored a Big East record 6 touchdowns. The game marked the first major game in the duo's memorable career together. The next game, the 45-13 victory over Connecticut, White totaled 106 passing yards and a touchdown, along with 63 rushing yards and two touchdowns for a total of 169 yards and three scores. In the 38-0 victory over Cincinnati, White passed for 100 yards and a score and rushed for 111 yards on only eight carries for 211 total yards. It marked the first 200-yard game of his career. One of White's best games in the tenure before the bowl game was against Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl rivalry game. He threw for 41 yards and 1 touchdown, and ran for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 45-13 win. It was only White's second career 200-yard game and had came consecutively to his previous 200-yard game against Cincinnati. Against USF, he had the longest rush of his career to date, a 76 yard run. His 177 yards rushing and two touchdowns was paired up with his 89 yards and score through the air for his third consecutive 200-yard game of his freshman season.

With Patrick now the starting quarterback, the Mountaineers won the rest of their games to win the Big East Conference title and earn a bid to the 2006 Sugar Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs. White rushed for 77 yards and threw for 120 yards and a touchdown in WVU's 38-35 win against the Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl, which up to that point was considered the greatest win in Mountaineer football history. That season he passed for 828 yards and 8 touchdowns. He also rushed for 952 yards and 7 touchdowns, which was then a new Big East and WVU record for quarterback rushing yards in a season. He also had three consecutive 200-yard games, which ended when he came short with 197 yards in the Sugar Bowl.

White and Steve Slaton ended the season with 2,995 total yards and 24 touchdowns between the two players.

[edit] 2006

White, running back Steve Slaton, and fullback Owen Schmitt were featured on one of the 6 regional covers of the 8/21/06 issue of Sports Illustrated, as part of their "Big Men On Campus" article and their 2006-2007 college football season preview. Slaton was named West Virginia's "Big Man On Campus" in the same issue. White was named as one of 35 players to watch for the Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year award.

White followed up a tremendous freshman season with a great sophomore season, in which he passed for 1,655 yards and 13 TDs and rushed for 1,219 yards and 18 TDs on his way to being named the Big East Offensive Player of the Year and was named to the first-team all-Big East squad. He was considered the leader of the team and his three best performances of the year came in the Gator Bowl, in the loss to Louisville when White continued to try to comeback late in the game, and against Pittsburgh in the annual rivalry game, a 45-27 win, when he threw for 204 yards and 2 touchdowns, and ran for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns. His 200+ rushing and passing yards makes him one of only eight players in NCAA history to do so in a game. He was also caught on camera mocking the Pitt Panther growl by a national ESPN audience in that game.[3] Pittsburgh linebacker H.B. Blades, who was an all-Big East selection that season, said, "Pat White is the best quarterback in college football," after the loss. In the Gator Bowl against Georgia Tech, White battled ankle, neck, and wrist injuries and a 35-17 third-quarter deficit to bring the Mountaineers back to win 38-35 without the help of back Steve Slaton, who was out with injuries as well. White took the ball on 10 of the last 12 plays, gaining 54 yards and four first downs, to run out the clock for the Mountaineers.^[4] Georgia Tech linebacker Philip Wheeler said when asked the three players he liked to watch in college football, "Three? Forget it. How about one? Pat White. Dude is unbelievable. I mean, he can do it all. He's fast, he stronger than he looks and he can throw it. Yeah, I love watching him -- as long as he's not doing it to us."^[5] Also against Syracuse, White rushed for a career-high 247 yards and scored four touchdowns.

White earned the Alabama Athlete of the Year award on May 8, 2007, for his sophomore season. He was also granted the key to his hometown of Daphne. White's all-purpose offense total of 2,878 yards is ranked third on the most total offense yards in a season in West Virginia school history [4], while his 1,219 rushing yards is the most ever in a season by a West Virginia quarterback [5], breaking his 2005 record. His 18 rushing touchdowns is tied for a school record in a season with running backs Ira Errett Rodgers and Amos Zereoue [6].

White and running back Steve Slaton combined for 2,963 yards and 34 touchdowns rushing in the season. They totaled 4,978 total yards and 49 touchdowns together on the season, the second-best output between the two in their three-year career together.

[edit] 2007

Steve Slaton (left) and Patrick White on the sideline of the 2007 Mississippi State ballgame

Rivals.com named White one of the top 10 quarterbacks going into the 2007 season, along with other accolades and honors.^[6] In the season opener against Western Michigan, White had a career-day against the Broncos as they focused on running back Steve Slaton. White ended the day going 10 for 18 with 192 yards and two touchdowns through the air, also rushing for 98 yards and two touchdowns as the Mountaineers won 62-24. White's first rushing touchdown was a 38-yard scramble in which he evaded five tacklers and then dashed between Broncos into the endzone. In the next week against Marshall, the Mountaineers pulled away in the second half with 42 points to win the game 48-23. White led West Virginia to the win with 149 passing yards and two touchdowns and 125 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Mountaineers' first score of the game came off of White's 46-yard pass to Darius Reynaud.

In the third game of the season against Maryland, White has an average game as the Mountaineers won 31-14. He was eight of thirteen passing with 92 yards and eleven rushes for 22 yards and a touchdown. In the following contest against ECU, White had a great day going 18 for 20 with 186 yards and two touchdown passes and nine rushes for 44 yards and two touchdowns. White's 90% passing accuracy tied a school record set in 1970, and he completed passes to eight different receivers.^[7] Through the first four games, White was fifth in the nation with a 71% completion percentage, 13th in the nation with 8.9 yards per completion, and his 174.82 quarterback rating was ninth in the nation. The Mountaineers' lost against USF 21-13 at South Florida the next game after East Carolina. White was injured in the game, but went 12-18 for 100 yards but threw his first interception on the season. The next game against Syracuse in a 55-14 win, White went 12-15 with 148 yards for a touchdown before injuring his shoulder. He also had 89 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries while being named Big East Player of the Week. At homecoming against Mississippi State, White only played the first half of the 38-13 blowout of the Bulldogs. In those two quarters, White went eight for twelve with 61 yards and a touchdown passing, along with an interception, and had five rushes for 89 yards, including a 64 yard run on the first play of the game for a touchdown.

In New Jersey against #25 Rutgers, White had one of the best games of the season as the Mountaineers rolled 31-3. White threw for 144 yards while going 10 for 16, also rushing for 156 yards on 22 carries for a touchdown. White accounted for 300 total yards of offense and a score, while his 100-yard rushing day was the 11th of his career in his first start against the Scarlet Knights. His rushing yardage was also fourth-best by any Mountaineer runner against Rutgers. Against Louisville, White had possibly his best game of the season as he led the Mountaineers to a 38-31 dramatic win. With the game tied 31-31 with less than two minutes less, White ran 50 yards for the game-winning touchdown, 38-31. White finished the game by going 16 of 25 for 181 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 147 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown, even though suffered a concussion near halftime. White was awarded the Player of the Game honor from ESPN and named Big East Offensive Player of the Week.

In the 28-23 win on the road against #22 Cincinnati, White led the Mountaineers to the victory by going 13 of 19 for 140 passing yards with an interception and rushing 27 times for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns, a total of 295 total offensive yards. His 155 rushing yards put him over Vince Young on the career NCAA quarterback rushing list as he moved to over 3,000 career rushing yards, the first Big East quarterback ever to do so. In the previous three games (Rutgers, Louisville, and Cincinnati), White totaled 923 total yards of offense and had three-straight games of over 200 yards of total offense.

White and the Mountaineers wrapped up the 2007 Big East Championship with their 66-21 win over #20 Connecticut. White ended the game by going 9 of 13 for 107 yards for a touchdown, but throwing a late interception, and running 16 times for 186 yards and 2 touchdowns. He ended the game with a total of 293 yards and 3 total touchdowns. White and Steve Slaton surpassed 1,000 yards rushing on the season in the win, making them only the third pair in FBS history to ever do so in consecutive seasons. He also passed former Mountaineer quarterback Rasheed Marshall to become the school leader for the most total touchdowns in a career, with 72 touchdowns after the game.

White was then injured for most of then-#2 West Virginia's regular season-ending loss to Pittsburgh in the 100th Backyard Brawl. He threw for only 50 yards and rushed for only 41, capping the performance with a fourth-down incompletion that sealed the game for Pitt. The loss cost his team a potential place in the national championship game. White left the game before halftime with a thumb injury, although returning on the last drive of the game.

Patrick White before the Mississippi State game

White was named Big East Offensive Player of the Year following the Pittsburgh loss. Only three other players in the conference's history had ever won the award two times. White was also a unanimous selection for first-team All-Big East,^[8] a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award for the nation's best quarterback,^[9] and finished 6th in the Heisman Trophy balloting. He was also presented the 2007 MVP Award for the West Virginia University football squad by head coach Rich Rodriguez^[10]. White also was named runner-up Alabama Athlete of the Year, behind San Diego Padres pitcher Jake Peavy.^[11]

Pat White finished the regular season with 1,548 passing yards and 12 touchdowns and 1,185 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns: a total of 2,733 yards and 26 touchdowns. Halfback Steve Slaton and White combined for 43 total touchdowns on the season, more than 67 Division 1-A teams that season^[12]. They also combined for 5,460 total yards, the best output by the two in their three-year career together. Their three-year career together ended with 13,433 total yards and 106 total touchdowns combined, cementing themselves as one of the greatest duos in NCAA history.

In the 48-28 Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma under interim head coach Bill Stewart, White earned the MVP award after passing for 176 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 150 yards. His two passing touchdowns pushed him to sixth place on the all-time list and his 326 total yards was his sixth career 300-yard game effort. With White's 150 rushing yards, he moved to sixth place on the single season quarterback rushing list with 1,335 yards on the season - also breaking his own Big East record - and he also moved up to sixth place on the career quarterback rushing list.^[13] White was named to the ESPN All-Bowl Team to start the 2008 year, being the only quarterback on the list.^[14] White also was awarded the Hardman Award, as the West Virginia Amateur Athlete of the Year, for the second consecutive year.^[15] Before the 2008 season began, ESPN ranked White's performance in the Fiesta Bowl as the #9 best in BCS bowl game history.^[16]

White finished the season #3 in the Big East in rushing, while ranking #26 nationally. He was also #8 in the conference in passing yards per game. He finished #2 in the conference and #10 nationally in passing efficiency. He was also #5 in the conference in total offense and scoring touchdowns.

[edit] 2008

On December 20, 2007, White was quoted in saying he will most likely be returning for his senior season.^[17] White later told Sports Illustrated, "[Leaving] never crossed my mind...I just want to enjoy my final season."^[18]

On January 15, 2008, head coach Bill Stewart announced that he was trying to convince White to play baseball for West Virginia University.^[19] White said he was either going to play for West Virginia in the spring, or a minor league baseball team during the summer. White was drafted by the Anaheim Angels out of high school, and Stewart wants White to have the option of playing in the National Football League or Major League Baseball upon his graduation.^[20]

On February 4, 2008, White was named the #1 most underrated recruit of the 2004 class. He was projected as a two-star recruit in 2004, and Scout.com now projects him as a five-star.^[21] ESPN also rated White the #6 top sleeper recruit of the decade, behind Bob Sanders, Patrick Willis, Alex Smith, DeMarcus Ware, and A.J. Hawk.^[22] White and tailback Noel Devine were also rated the #1 "scary star" for the 2008 season.^[23]

On February 27, 2008, White commented on the new coaching staff, saying, "This spring will be very, very important...It will be important for us as players, but it will be even more important for our new coaching staff...“I’m sure there will be some changes...But, I think coach Stew will keep many of the things we’ve done in the past as well.”^[24] He also told Sports Illustrated, "Coach Stew coached me when I first got here. Me and him spent a lot of time together. For him to now be our head coach says a lot about him...There's a wonderful connection from coach to players and it's happening in a very short time frame...The new coaches that have come in have definitely gelled with the players and vice versa." White also commented on Steve Slaton's departure for the NFL, saying, "I was just hoping he did what was best for him...I want to see him succeed like all the rest of my teammates that have the opportunity to move on to the next level. I wish him the best."^[25]

As spring practice began, Bill Stewart said on March 19 of his plans with White. He said that along with being the starting quarterback, "Don't be surprised if you see Pat White out in the slot and Jarrett Brown at quarterback...If we think we can get a mismatch, we'll send [White] down the field. A score is a score."^[26]

On March 13, the day of West Virginia's Pro Day, Sporting News ranked Pat White was the Top Player in College Football in 2008.^[27] During spring practice in April, head coach Bill Stewart said of White, "Let me tell you what: someday down there by Sam Huff, there’d better be a No. 5 there...There better be a statue."^[28] Stewart also said he planned to promote White for the 2008 Heisman Trophy more than former head coach Rich Rodriguez previously, saying, "Patrick is the greatest player in college football today...Patrick is such a down-to-earth, level guy, I'm not scared about him and what the attention might do...".^[29] On May 12, White was named the quarterback of the 52nd Playboy All-American team.^[30] ESPN ranked White the #6 Player of the BCS-era.^[31]

[edit] Career Statistics

WVU		Passing						Rushing
Season	Games	Att-Comp	Yds	Avg	TD	INT	Long	Rush	Yds	Avg	Lg	TD
2005	12	65-114	828	7.3	8	5	50	131	952	7.3	76	7
2006	12	118-179	1,655	9.2	13	7	67	165	1,219	7.4	69	18
2007	13	144-216	1,724	7.9	14	4	79	197	1,335	6.8	64	14
Total	37	327-509	4,207	8.1	35	16	79	493	3,506	7.2	76	39

[edit] Records

[edit] Game

One of only eight players in NCAA history to rush and pass for more than 200 yards in a game (Pitt 2006, 220 rushing and 204 passing)

[edit] Season

Most rushing yards in a season by a West Virginia quarterback - 1,335 yards ^[32]
Tied for most rushing touchdowns in a season in school history - 18 touchdowns ^[33]
Second most rushing yards in a season by a freshman in West Virginia school history - 952
Third on the most total offense yards in a season in West Virginia school history - 2,878 yards ^[34]
Sixth in NCAA single-season quarterback rushing list in yardage - 1,335

[edit] Career

White is the current active leading rusher of any player in any position in the NCAA.
White's 28-4 record as a starter is unmatched in West Virginia history
First in passing efficiency with a career quarterback rating of 151.4 at West Virginia University.
First in completion percentage in school history by completing 63.2% of his passes.
First in Big East and West Virginia University career rushing yardage record for a quarterback - 3,506 yards
First in total touchdowns scored in WVU history - 74 touchdowns
Second most total offensive yards for a career in WVU history - 7,713 yards
Fourth most in school history of career rushing touchdowns - 39 touchdowns
Sixth in NCAA career quarterback rushing list in yardage - 3,506 yards

[edit] Bowl Games

White is 3-0 as a starter in bowl games (Including 2-0 in BCS Bowl Games).
Led WVU to an upset victory over the #9 ranked SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs in the 2006 BCS Nokia Sugar Bowl.
Led WVU to an 18 point come-from-behind victory over ACC runner-up Georgia Tech in the 2007 Gator Bowl.
Led WVU to a stunning 20 point upset over #4 ranked Big 12 Champion Oklahoma Sooners in the 2008 BCS Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Was named 2007 Gator Bowl MVP.
Was named 2008 Fiesta Bowl MVP.

79 yard touchdown pass in 2008 Fiesta Bowl is longest pass play in WVU Bowl history.
Ran for a team-high 150 yards in Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma.

WVU					Passing						Rushing
Year	Record	Game	Win/Loss	Opponent	Comp-Att	Yds	Avg	TD	INT	Long	Rush	Yds	Avg	Lg	TD
2006	11-1	Sugar Bowl	WIN	Georgia	11-14	120	8.6	1	0	30	24	77	3.2	13	0
2007	11-2	Gator Bowl	WIN	Georgia Tech	9-15	131	8.7	2	0	58	22	145	6.6	27	1
2008	11-2	Fiesta Bowl	WIN	Oklahoma	10-19	176	9.3	2	0	79	20	150	7.5	42	0
Total	33-5	3-0	----	----	30-48	427	8.9	5	0	79	66	372	5.8	42	1