Charles White, Heisman Winner With a Difficult Second Act, Dies at 64

At the Rose Bowl after the 1978 regular season, White scored the decisive touchdown on a disputed play from the Michigan 3-yard line in the second quarter. He fumbled the ball before he reached the goal line. The umpire signaled that Michigan had possession of the ball, but the line judge called it a touchdown; the head linesman then reaffirmed that it was a score.

The touchdown extended U.S.C.’s lead to 14-3, which held up in a 17-10 win, and the school was named college football’s national champion in a poll of 35 coaches.

White was incandescent in the next year’s Rose Bowl against Ohio State. He rushed for 247 yards on 39 carries and scored the winning touchdown with 1 minute 32 seconds left in the game, lifting U.S.C. to a 17-16 victory.

“Charlie White is the best football player I’ve ever seen,” John Robinson, the U.S.C. coach, said after the game. “If you don’t believe me, just go back and look at the fourth quarter. His domination was absolute. He is the greatest competitor I have ever seen.”

White was chosen by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the N.F.L. draft in 1980, but in four seasons, he never rushed for more than 342 yards. After he was released by the Browns, he was signed by the Rams, who were then coached by Robinson, for the 1985 season.

His first two seasons with the Rams were uneventful, but he was spectacular in 1987, carrying the ball 324 times for a league-leading 1,374 yards and 11 touchdowns. However, the season was tainted by a 24-day players’ strike, during which games were played largely by nonunion replacements for three weeks. White was one of a group of players who crossed the union’s picket lines.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/15/sports/football/charles-white-dead.html