Pat White performed at full-length strides ahead of his time. As a Quarterback for the West Virginia Mountaineers in the late 2000’s – White will forever be revered as one of the greatest to ever play the position in NCAAF history. From the minute he stepped onto the field – Pat White provided a jolt of life into the college football world that could never be duplicated.
It all started when the starter got injured with the final quarter of play remaining against Louisville. Before this game, White debated with the idea of signing a 6 figure MLB contract from the Anaheim Angels [2004 Draft] until his father Bo White convinced him to stick it out. Frustrated by his place on the depth chart, White did not feel that Bednarik was a better candidate for QB than him.
Read Option Revolutionaries
Thankfully, he decided to try his luck with Football because once the QB1 went down in the 2nd game of the year – a legend was born. Pat White and fellow Freshman Steve Slaton contributed to an electrifying comeback that erased a 24 point deficit which led to a 46-44 3OT victory. They did not lose a game for the rest of the season and went on to defeat Georgia 38-35 in the 2006 Sugar Bowl.*
Pat White had the same type of elusiveness as Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson. The problem for him at the time is that the NFL was trying to shapeshift him into a different player with a different position. Coming out of High School he was recruited as a 3 star WR/DB. Throughout college – he proved to be one of the most talented athletes to ever touch the gridiron at the QB position. Then in the NFL they tried to turn him back into a WR/DB – someone explain the logic!
In hindsight, P.White should have remained steadfast in his determination to be an NFL QB. Look at the current era of high-caliber Quarterbacks in the NFL today – they all share one thing in common: mobility. Hell, Lamar Jackson didn’t even run the 40 yard dash because he did not want to create any possibility that he would play any other position.
At the time, Pat White did not value his worth as a QB or else he would have never accepted the Wildcat role on the Miami Dolphins. 13 games later – Ike Taylor senselessly launched his body like a missile into a lethal head-to-head collision with Pat White.
Continuing to look back – White might not have been selected in the NFL as a QB but he might have been able to make an impact in an improbable situation coming off the bench like he did in College had he stayed committed to his position. All of this makes no difference though as he would have still had to face the Steelers who were known to concuss opponents regularly.
The fact of the matter is – nobody did it like Pat White. Rich Rodriguez and his offensive schemes set the trend for dual-threat QBs. When it comes to Run, Pass Option style attack and scrambling Quarterbacks – Pat White will forever be mentioned.
White was so swift with his cuts and could hit top speed with what looked like no real effort. Not to mention, he was a walking cheat code in any NCAAF video game. All in all, it is extremely disappointing that his career was cut short by a reckless act of helmet-to-helmet contact, especially given the fact that he was a primetime player (PTPer)
PW had a knack for elevating the levels of his game in the most pivotal moments. As time went on and moments became more crucial, White would deliver. He went 42-9 overall at WVU with over 10K all purpose yards and 103 TDs.
After attempts with the Kansas City Royals, Washington Redskins. Edmonton Eskimos and Florida Marlins – Pat White never made an impact at the professional level.
*Pat White went on to win every bowl game he ever played in
“Grasping at something in the space where you think Pat White should be, only to come away with nothing but memory, is the ultimate experience of watching Pat White.”
Banner Society
FreshNewsNow 