Wilford Daniel White (born February 9, 1952) is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys and American football coach at Arena Football League. He has been a color commentator for the Cowboys game on American Radio Network Team Compass Media Networks since the 2011 season. He played college football at Arizona State University.
Video Danny White
Initial years
Westwood High School graduate in Mesa, Arizona, White did not receive much notice when he became a starter in the quarterback, because at that time he was a better baseball prospect.
Frank Kush, who was then head coach of football at Arizona State University, helped convince Bobby Winkles, the baseball coach of the school, to sign White into a scholarship provided that he would also play punter for the football team. During those early years Kush gave him the opportunity to upgrade his skills as a quarterback, which would eventually lead him to a starter in his mid-sophomore season, ending with a 6-goal throw in a game against the University of New Mexico.
White went on to have a stellar career as a quarterback and punter, composing a 33-4 record, winning 3 Fiesta Bowls, setting 7 NCAAs over the record and being named All-America in 1973, when he led a second total offense rated by the state. He finished with 6,717 yards, 64 touchdowns, 42 interceptions and an average of 41.7 yards per kick.
In addition to having his jersey retired, he was inducted into the College of Football Hall of Fame, the State of Arizona Sports Hall of Fame and the Arizona State University Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2000, he was named Arizona Athlete of the Century by Arizona Republic . He is also a premier member of Dunham and the Miller Hall of Fame.
On October 29, 2010, White was honored, along with other Sun Devil Quarterbacks, at a Legends lunch hosted by the Arizona State University Alumni Association and Sun Devil Club. Other honors include John F. Goodman, Andrew Walter, Jake Plummer, and Jeff van Raaphorst.
Maps Danny White
Professional career
Memphis Southmen (WFL)
The Dallas Cowboys picked him in the third round (the 53rd overall) of the 1974 NFL Draft, but was primarily interested in him as a spectator, so he chose to sign a contract with Memphis Southman of the Football League for a better offer.
White shared the quarterback position with John Huarte, helping his team reach the semi-finals as a rookie and finish second place in 1975. For two years, he graduated for 2,635 yards and 21 goals in 30 games, and also led the league in sweeping his final year.
Dallas Cowboys
In 1976, he signed with Dallas Cowboys after the World Football League folded. Through 1979, White was the Cowboys punter and reserve for quarterback team star Roger Staubach. After Staubach retired after the end of the season, White became the early quarterback of the Cowboys. Until 1984, White continued to serve as a team player.
In an impressive 1980 playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons, White led the Cowboys into a 30-27 victory. He also played in one of the Cowboys' most painful playoff losses against the San Francisco 49ers in the 1981 NFC Championship Game, best known for Joe Joe-to-Dwight Clark game, which will only be known as "The Catch". White almost brought the Cowboys back to win the game, but his bait to Drew Pearson came his finger away from winning the game in the last seconds. He received Pro Bowl and a second All-Pro team award in 1982.
White led the Cowboys to three consecutive NFC Championship Games (1980-1982), but was criticized after the Cowboys lost each of the three games despite having been favored in all of them. White also received criticism for public standing with the owner during the 1982 NFL Players Strikes. Fans and teammates alike began to show support for White to be replaced as Cowboys quarterback by Gary Hogeboom, who came from an impressive performance at the 1982 NFC Championship Game (which they lost to the Washington Redskins) after White was knocked out of the game with a concussion. Even the best statistically successful 1983 season failed to silence the critics, having ended with a streaking defeat of the Redskins (at home) and 49ers after a 12-2 start. To add insult to injury, Cowboys lost the NFC Wildcard Playoff game to the Los Angeles Rams. It was apparently enough for White to lose his initial job to Hogeboom at the start of the 1984 season. Under Hogeboom, the Cowboys looked impressive with a 4-1 start but then lost to rivals St Louis's division and ineffective drama by Hogeboom convinced coach Tom Landry to returns White as starter. The Cowboys finished 9-7, but missed the playoffs in 1984 for the first time in a decade; but with White as a quarterback, the Cowboys made it back in 1985 with a 10-6 record. However, they lost again to the Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs.
In 1986, the Cowboys started 6-2, having number 1 offense in the NFL, tied for the lead in the NFC's Eastern Division and White was also the number one identifier at the NFC at the time of the season. During an away game against Bill Parcells's New York Giants, however, a blind-sided pocket by the Giants linebacker, Carl Banks broke White's wrist and tore the ligament, knocking him out of the game and ending his season. Dallas lost the game, 17-14, and without White, his team faded badly, ended the year 7-9 and the Cowboys first lost the season since 1965.
White returned as a starter in early 1987, but after inconsistent play, he received Steve Pelluer's support for 4 of the last 6 games. In 1988, Pelluer won an early job at the training camp, alienating White as backup. White appeared briefly in just two games, and in his second game he suffered a season-ending knee injury. An option on his contract was not taken in April 1989 and he retired, paving the way for Troy Aikman to take control of the struggling franchise.
White has 1,761 settlements at 2,950 attempts for 21,959 yards, 155 goals, and 132 interception in his career. He also got 482 yards and scored 8 goals in a hurry. Unusual for quarterbacks, it has two pass receptions for touchdown, both of which are halfback option options. On special teams he punted as many as 610 times over 24,509 yards, averaging 40.4 yards per kick, with 144 kicks in 20 and 77 touchbacks. His record as an early Cowboys quarterback is 62-32 (percentage wins 0.659) during the regular season, and 5-5 in the playoffs.
Being a substitute for Roger Staubach and never reaching the Super Bowl as an early quarterback contributed to White as an unappreciated player, even considering all the success he achieved for the Cowboys and NFL during the eighties. "I do not think anyone can follow Roger and do as well as Danny," said Coach Tom Landry, "Danny is a solid winner."
Career statistics
Regular season
Train a career
His career as a coach began shortly after his playing days ended. It's appropriate given that, while the player is active, he is widely considered - like Staubach before him - who has knowledge of the game and as a coach in the field.
White served as Rattlers Arizona head coach from 1992 to 2004, won the ArenaBowl championship in 1994 and 1997. The White contract was not renewed by the new Rattlers owners after the 2004 season after three consecutive ArenaBowl losses. He was named head coach of the expansion of the Football League Arena Utah Blaze, who started playing in 2006. He led his team to the playoffs in 10 of 11 seasons, including two championships (1994 and 1997), ending with a 162-95 record as head coach.
In 2002, he was inducted into the Arena Football League Hall of Fame in recognition of his success as a coach.
Personal life
White's father, Wilford "Whizzer" White (no relation to college football legend and US Supreme Court judge Byron "Whizzer" White), was the first All-American Arizona State University footballer and still ranks second in school history 1502 meters a season, he also played half-back for the Chicago Bears from 1951-52.
In 1983, White was listed as a country music artist for the Grand Prix label. Her only single, "You're a Part of Me", a duet with Linda Nail, reached # 85 on the Hot Country Songs charts.
White and his wife, JoLynn, have four children, Ryan (w 2015), Geoff, Heather and Reed and twelve grandchildren. He is now making a company appearance and motivational speech. JoLynn died on August 15, 2016. In recent years she has been seen on t.v. infomercial security of ADT.
See also
- List of major college-led NCAAs who pass the annual leadership
References
External links
- Official website
- Danny White at the University Football Hall of Fame
- Career and player information statistics from NFL.com Ã, Â · Pro-Football-Reference
- Train a Page on ArenaFan.com
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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