| Date of birth: | September 26, 1928 |
| Place of birth: | Mesa, Arizona |
| Career information | |
|---|---|
| Position(s): | Running back |
| College: | Arizona State |
| NFL Draft: | 1951 / Round: 3 / Pick: 36 |
| Organizations | |
| As player: | |
| 1951-1952 | Chicago Bears |
| Playing stats at NFL.com | |
Wilford "Whizzer" White (born September 26, 1928) is a former professional American football player in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 1951 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State University and became the school's first football All-American and one of its greatest running backs.
Early life[]
White was born in Mesa, Arizona. He is a graduate of Mesa High School where he was a multisport athlete and a stand out in track and field.[1] Back then he was nicknamed Whizzer.
He later attended Arizona State University[2] leading the team in rushing from 1947 to 1950. In 1950, his 1,502-yards rushing total (150.2 yards per game) led the nation and still ranks second in school history for a season. He also scored 136 points, which ranked third in the nation. At that time, he was only the second player in college football history to run for so many yards in a season, thus becoming the first football player from Arizona State University to be named All-American.[3] He also practiced the basketball and decathlon, where he finished fifth and sixth nationally as a junior and senior behind Olympian Bob Mathias.
In 1951 he participated in the College All-Star Game and the East–West Shrine Game. To this day, he is one of the greatest running backs in school history, with many of his records still standing.[4] He was named to the Arizona State University Sports Hall of Fame.
Professional career[]
White was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 1951 NFL Draft and played two seasons in the NFL, until suffering a knee injury.[5]
Personal life[]
He is the father of Danny White, Pro Bowl quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.
References[]
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=krZaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GVADAAAAIBAJ&pg=3729,5862747&dq=wilford+white+whizzer&hl=en
- ↑ "Wilford Parley White (Whizzer)". datbaseFootball.com. http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=WHITEWIL03. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vq9QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BdAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6563,5265496&dq=wilford+white+whizzer&hl=en
- ↑ http://www.azcentral.com/sports/asu/articles/2009/11/26/20091126spt-asuwhite.html
- ↑ http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MsRRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mWoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4303,7628935&dq=wilford+white+whizzer&hl=en