Former running back Charles White, who led USC to a national championship in 1978 and won the Heisman Trophy the following year, died Wednesday, the university announced. He was 64.
According to The Associated Press, White, who also played nine seasons in the NFL, died of cancer in Newport Beach, California.
A Los Angeles native, White was the school’s third winner of the Heisman Trophy, after Mike Garrett and O.J. Simpson. White rushed for 6,245 yards during his college career, according to Sports-Reference.com. He remains the program’s all-time leading rusher, Sports Illustrated reported.
White led the Trojans in rushing in each of his final three seasons. In addition to the Heisman, White won the Walter Camp, Maxwell and Pop Warner Awards, the AP reported.
In the Heisman balloting in 1979, White collected 453 first-place votes and 1,695 votes overall, according to Sports-Reference.com. He more than doubled the total votes collected by the runner-up, Billy Sims of Oklahoma.
White was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
“He was the toughest player I’ve ever coached,” John Robinson, White’s former head coach at USC and with the Los Angeles Rams, told the AP. “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 was a first-round draft choice of the Cleveland Browns -- and 27th overall -- in the 1980 NFL draft, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com. He was with the Browns from 1980 to 1984 -- he missed the 1983 season with injuries -- and played his final four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.
“Charles White was one of the all-time great Trojans,” USC athletic director Mike Bohn said in a statement. “A Rose Bowl legend, a two-time unanimous All-American and an NCAA record-setter, he made USC proud donning the Cardinal and Gold. 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. Fight On Forever!”
During White’s time at USC, the Trojans went 42-6-1 and won three bowl games, according to Sports Illustrated.
“Pound for pound, he was one of the toughest guys to ever play in the program,” Paul McDonald, one of White’s quarterbacks during his four years at USC, told the Los Angeles Times. “He wasn’t super fast, but he got stronger as the game went on. He would make things happen. Tough as nails, not silky smooth but so hard to bring down.”
He was diagnosed with dementia 10 years ago, the newspaper reported.