SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic felt curious enough this offseason to ask a question on social media: Who is the best football player USC has ever produced? There are lots of interesting and legitimate answers. Fans will have different views based on their preferences and standards. One player who should be considered part of the discussion is running back Charles White.
We have looked at other USC running backs in this series on the Trojans’ greatest player ever. Marcus Allen won all the awards. OJ Simpson was dominant in a two-year span and set remarkable records. Charles White’s argument for “best-ever” status includes some stats and yardage totals. He rushed for over 5,500 yards at USC over four seasons. He had two seasons over 1,750 yards. He ran for 247 yards in the 1980 Rose Bowl epic against No. 1 Ohio State.
Beyond the numbers, though, Charles White’s true claim to legendary greatness is that he might be the toughest player USC ever produced. The “pound for pound” description is where Charles White stands out. We have to mention that White’s post-football life was marred by poor health. He encountered off-field troubles, and it’s hard if not impossible to say that the pounding he took in football contributed to his wayward life trajectory. A brain injury led to dementia and other late-in-life health problems which limited Charles White’s full experience of the human journey. All of this had a severe cost, and we have to be up front about that.
The football piece of this, however, is that White sacrificed his body at a level other USC players did not or could not match. There is sadness attached to this, given how White’s life unfolded, but it is — strictly in football terms — a reason to put White above all others at USC.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC’s best: Charles White might be toughest pound-for-pound Trojan
Reporting by Matt Zemek, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
