White spent four years as a star at USC and then played in the Pro Bowl for the Los Angeles Rams, but his lasting legacy is almost totally tied to Los Angeles. He enjoyed early success with the Trojans, setting a freshman record with 858 rushing yards and leading the Pac-8 with 1,478 rushing yards.
Even more prosperous seasons came in his junior and senior years.
He was the focal point of USC’s 1978 team that won the national championship, and in 1979, after rushing for 2,050 yards and 19 touchdowns, he won the top award in collegiate football.
Charles White’s cause of death: How did Charles White die?
Charles White, the USC Heisman Trophy winner from 1979 who later had a nine-year NFL career, passed away on Wednesday, according to his alma mater. At 64 years old, he was.
USC did not offer a cause of death, although the Los Angeles Times reported in July of last year that White was battling dementia.
White graduated as the NCAA’s No. 2 all-time leading rusher and continues to hold the Pac-12 record with 6,245 running yards. If you take his bowl game results into account, he still ranks fifth on the NCAA leaderboard.
The Heisman Trophy Trust mourns the loss of 1979 Heisman Trophy winner Charles White and shares its deepest condolences with his family and friends as well as the entire University of Southern California community. pic.twitter.com/dbpQPDYE6G
— The Heisman Trophy (@HeismanTrophy) January 12, 2023
White was taken by the Cleveland Browns with the 27th overall choice in the 1980 NFL Draft following a tremendously successful college career. He never carried for more than 350 yards in a season throughout his five years with the Browns, which unfortunately meant that his professional career would be marked by more lows than highs.
