Former USC tailback and 1979 Heisman Trophy winner Charles White died in Newport Beach on Wednesday from cancer, the school announced in a press release. The Trojans great, who was a member of USC’s 1978 national championship team, was 64.
White was one of the most decorated athletes in college football history, setting 22 NCAA, Pac-10, USC and Rose Bowl records during his four-year career from 1976 to 1979. He remains USC’s all-time leading rusher with 6,245 yards, a mark that was the second-most in NCAA history at the time of his graduation.
A graduate of San Fernando High, White was a two-time unanimous All-American and three-time All-Pac-12 first-team selection. He led USC in rushing for three straight seasons, culminating with a 2,050-yard season in 1979 as he was named the third of USC’s eight Heisman Trophy winners.
He also won the Maxwell, Chic Harley, Walter Camp and Pop Warner Awards in 1979 after scoring 19 touchdowns and leading the Trojans to a second straight Rose Bowl win. He was the Rose Bowl Player of the Game in 1979 and 1980.
White finished his career with 53 total touchdowns and a career average of 5.4 yards per carry. He was inducted into the USC Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
“He was the toughest player I’ve ever coached,” former USC head coach John Robinson said in a statement. “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 went on to be a first-round pick in the 1980 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, where he spent the first five seasons of his career (missing the entire 1983 season with an injury). He then played for four years with the Los Angeles Rams, where he was again coached by Robinson.
The tailback had a career year in 1987, becoming their primary running back after Eric Dickerson was traded to the Indianapolis Colts and leading the NFL in rushing (1,374 yards) and scoring 11 touchdowns while being named a first-team All-Pro and the league’s Comeback Player of the Year. He finished his NFL career with 3,075 yards rushing, 860 yards receiving and 24 touchdowns (one receiving).
After his playing career, White accepted a position at USC as special assistant to the athletic director in 1990. He served as USC’s running backs coach from 1993-97, again working for Robinson, before moving into an administrative role at the university.
“Charles White was one of the all-time great Trojans,” USC athletic director Mike Bohn said in a statement. “He will always be remembered by the Trojan Family for the history he made on the football field and the legacy he left at Troy.”
White is survived by his ex-wife Judianne White-Basch, their children Nicole White, Julian White, Tara White, Ashton White, Sophia White, and granddaughter Giovanna Hemmen. Memorial service details are pending.
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