Heisman Trophy Winner Charles White, Former NFL Star and USC Standout, Dead at 64

Anna Lazarus Caplan
·2 min read
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Coll, Football: USC's Charles White (12) in action vs Oregon State, Los Angeles, CA 10/21/1978
Coll, Football: USC's Charles White (12) in action vs Oregon State, Los Angeles, CA 10/21/1978
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Peter Read Miller/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images

Former NFL star Charles White, who won the Heisman Trophy and a national championship for USC in the 1970s, has died. He was 64.

White died on Wednesday in Newport Beach, Calif. from cancer, the school announced.

A standout tailback, White still holds the school rushing record with 6,245 yards. He was a four-year letterman, a two-time unanimous All-American and set 22 NCAA, Pac-10, USC and Rose Bowl records. He was the school's third Heisman winner, and also nabbed the Walter Camp, Maxwell and Pop Warner awards.

But aside from the accolades, White impressed his teammates and coaches with his sheer tenacity.

"He was the toughest player I've ever coached," John Robinson, White's former USC and Rams head coach, said. "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!"

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USC's Charles White, winner of the 1979 Heisman Trophy, puts his arm around the same trophy won by O.J. Simpson during press conference
USC's Charles White, winner of the 1979 Heisman Trophy, puts his arm around the same trophy won by O.J. Simpson during press conference

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White was a first-round pick in the 1980 NFL Draft, and went on to play for the Cleveland Browns (1980-84) and Los Angeles Rams (1985-88). He led the league in rushing in 1987.

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White returned to USC three years later as a special assistant to the athletic director. In 1993, he became an assistant football coach in charge of the Trojan running backs — a position he held through 1997.

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"Charles White was one of the all-time great Trojans," said USC athletic director Mike Bohn. "A Rose Bowl legend, a two-time unanimous All-American and a 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!"

White's survivors include his ex-wife, Judianne White-Basch, and their children Nicole White, Julian White, Tara White, Ashton White, Sophia White and granddaughter Giovanna Hemmen.