West Virginia University honored quarterback Pat White by retiring his No. 5 jersey during a ceremony held before the Mountaineers’ season opener against Coastal Carolina on Saturday. The university’s fans and players wore white apparel for the occasion, recreating the uniform combination worn during White’s final home game nearly two decades earlier.
White compiled an impressive resume during his time as the Mountaineers’ starting quarterback, finishing with a 35-8 record. He established himself as one of college football’s premier dual-threat signal-callers, becoming the only starting quarterback in NCAA history to win four bowl games. His accomplishments included victories in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia and the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma.
The standout performer achieved the rare distinction of surpassing both 6,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards in his college career. White’s 4,480 rushing yards rank third all-time for quarterbacks competing at the highest collegiate level. He averaged 6.5 yards per rush and recorded four games with over 200 rushing yards.
White, now serving as West Virginia’s assistant quarterbacks coach and assistant to head coach Rich Rodriguez, has deep ties to the program. Rodriguez brought him to campus from Alabama in 2004 and was instrumental in allowing White to play quarterback rather than switching positions. The jersey retirement makes White the seventh football player in school history to receive this honor.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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