Gerald White

Gerald White
No. 37     Dallas Cowboys
Date of birth (1964-12-09) December 9, 1964
Place of birth Titusville, Florida
Career information
Position(s) Running back
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 223 lb (101 kg)
College Michigan
Career history
As player
1987 Dallas Cowboys
Career stats

Gerald Eugene White (born December 9, 1964, in Titusville, Florida[1]) is a former American football running back. He played college football at the University of Michigan from 1983 to 1986 and professional football for the Dallas Cowboys in 1987. In four years of college football, White totaled 1,864 yards of offense for the Wolverines. He is the founder of Gerald White International, LLC, a marketing and events company based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Early years

White began his football career at Memorial Junior High School in Orlando, Florida, and spent one year at Orlando's William R. Boone High School.[2] He then moved to Titusville High School for his junior and senior years. As a senior in 1982, White was selected as a Parade High School All-American,[3] and he led Titusville to the Florida High School Athletic Association Class AAA football championship. After White dominated the Region 5 playoff game, the Lakeland Ledger wrote:

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound White rumbled for 178 yards and two touchdowns as the Terriers blanked Lake Wales 33-0. White did it all. He even punted twice for a 46.5-yard average ... He finished the first half with 138 yards.[3]

Two weeks later, White led Titusville to a 29–0 win over Homestead in the Class AAA state semi-final game, rushing for 118 yards and two touchdowns and kicking a 27-yard field goal.[4] In the state championship game, Titusville defeated Kissimmee Osceola 33-0 as White rushed 12 times for 139 yards and a touchdown.[5] White later recalled playing football for coach Al Werneke at Titusville: "The closeness and camaraderie are what I remember most about our high school teams. We loved coach Werneke and enjoyed each other, and it was culminated by winning the state championship."[6]

As a junior high and high school football player, White was known as "Stardust", a nickname that reportedly "evolved from his fascination for the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas, where he lived before moving to Florida".[6]

University of Michigan

In 1983, White enrolled at the University of Michigan. He played football for the Michigan Wolverines football team under head coach Bo Schembechler from 1983 to 1986.

As a freshman in 1983, White appeared in three games for the Wolverines, gaining 64 yards in 20 carries.[7] As a sophomore in 1984, White appeared in seven games and started two games at the tailback position.[7][8] He gained 345 yards on 91 carries, including 89 yards in Michigan's 22–14 victory over the Miami Hurricanes in the season opener.[7] After the Miami game, Schembechler praised White's effort: "We did not block well. I thought (tailback Gerald) White, under the circumstances with no blocking, ran good. He made some tough yards."[9]

As a junior in 1985, coach Bo Schembechler converted White from a tailback to a fullback. Though White had previously resisted efforts to have him play fullback, White later recalled, "But it was the best thing that ever happened to me, because I learned more about the game."[6] White started all 12 games for the Wolverines at the fullback position. The 1985 Michigan football team, with White, Jamie Morris and Jim Harbaugh in the backfield, compiled a record of 10–1–1, outscored opponents 342 to 98 and finished the season ranked No. 2 in both the AP and UPI polls.[10] During the 1985 season, White gained 564 rushing yards on 133 carries and 123 receiving yards on 18 catches. He also totaled 11 touchdowns (seven rushing and four receiving) on the season. He had his career-best game in Michigan's 27–17 victory over Ohio State, as he rushed for 110 yards on 29 carries and added 23 receiving yards on three catches.[7] He also scored the go-ahead touchdown in Michigan's 27–23 victory over Nebraska in the 1986 Fiesta Bowl.[11]

As a senior in 1986, White started 11 of 13 games for the Wolverines at fullback. With the same starting backfield of White, Morris and Harbaugh, the 1986 team finished 11–1 in the regular season and was ranked No. 8 in the AP poll and No. 7 in the UPI poll. The team advanced to the 1987 Rose Bowl, losing to Arizona State by a score of 22–15.[12] White totaled 323 rushing yards on 88 carries and 408 receiving yards on 38 catches. He scored eight touchdowns, five rushing and three receiving, during the 1986 season.[7] In the 1987 Rose Bowl, White caught a pass from Mike Gillette in the end zone for a two-point conversion on a fake kick.[13] At the end of the 1986 season, White also played in the 1987 Hula Bowl.[6]

In four years at Michigan, White totaled 1,864 yard of offense for the Wolverines.[7] He rushed for 1,297 yards, caught 64 passes for 567 yards and scored 19 touchdowns.[6] Interviewed in 1997, White said, "The highlight of playing at Michigan, more than rushing for 110 yards against Ohio State and going to the Rose Bowl, was playing for Bo Schembechler. You either loved or hated Bo, but I loved him. I loved him because he taught me so much about life."[6]

Professional football

White played for the Dallas Cowboys during the 1987 NFL season.[1] At the beginning of September 1987, White was waived by the Cowboys,[14] but he returned to the team and played in three games for them during the 1987 NFL players strike.[15] On being named to the Cowboys' lineup, White called it a "dream".[16] He had five receptions for 46 yards in three games,[1] but he was waived by the Cowboys in late October 1987.[17] White returned to the Cowboys' training camp in 1988 and played with the team in pre-season games, but he was cut at the end of August 1988. He had survived until the Cowboys trimmed the final roster to 47 players.[18] In July 1989, White signed as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins and played in pre-season games with the team. He was cut by the Dolphins in early September 1989.[19]

During his career in football, White played for Bo Schembechler at Michigan, Tom Landry at Dallas and Don Shula at Miami.[6]

Later years

After White retired from football, he moved to Atlanta, where he worked for two years for the Hooters restaurant organization.[6] He later formed G-Sport Management and Marketing, a sports marketing company in Orlando.[6]

In 1997, White was the manager of promotions for Champion sportswear in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. At the time, White recalled, "I played for some of the best coaches ever. I don't want to coach because of the attitudes of some of today's players, but I apply what I learned to the business world. Sacrifice, trust and perfecting what you do are important, no matter what you do."[6]

In 2005, White formed Gerald White International, LLC, a marketing and events company. He is also the managing partner of LudaJuice, Inc.[20][21] In April 2010, Gerald White International moved its headquarters from Miami Beach, Florida, to Ann Arbor, Michigan.[22] The firm's clients include the National Athletic Association and The Ludacris Foundation.[22]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Gerald White". pro-football-reference.com.
  2. ↑ Bill Buchalter (January 5, 1986). "INDUSTRY MAKES PLONK TOP DRAFT CHOICE MICHIGAN'S WHITE GIVES FIESTA BOWL WATCH TO HIS JUNIOR-HIGH COACH". Orlando Sentinel. p. C15.
  3. 1 2 Stan Wojciaczyk (November 27, 1982). "Two Polk prep teams adavance". Lakeland Ledger.
  4. ↑ "Homestead's biggest year ends with a crash". The Miami News. December 11, 1982.
  5. ↑ "Titusville 33, Kissimmmee Osceola 0". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. December 18, 1982.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Steve Kornacki (July 24, 1997). "White Builds Future On 'Stardust': The Ex-football Star At Michigan And Titusville High Did Not Shine In The Nfl But Works With Those Who Did At Champion.". Orlando Sentinel. p. C6.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page". University of Michigan.
  8. ↑ "1984 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Saturday's Victory a Good Start". Ocala Star-Banner. September 10, 1984.
  10. ↑ "1985 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  11. ↑ Julie Cart (January 2, 1986). "Schembechler, Michigan have last word". The Pittsburgh Press.
  12. ↑ "1986 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  13. ↑ Bob Ryan (January 2, 1987). "ASU SHOVES MICHIGAN ASIDE, 22-15". Boston Globe.
  14. ↑ "Transactions". The New York Times. September 2, 1987.
  15. ↑ "Who's playing today and for whom". Lakeland Ledger. October 4, 1987.
  16. ↑ Tim Cowlishaw (October 4, 1987). "COWBOYS STRIKE A NEW COURSE: Cast of unknowns meet makeshift Jets as NFL season resumes". The Dallas Morning News.
  17. ↑ "DEALS". USA TODAY. October 27, 1987.
  18. ↑ Mike Zizzo (August 31, 1988). "FORMER TITUSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS FAIL IN THEIR BIDS TO MAKE NFL". Orlando Sentinel. p. C6.
  19. ↑ Randy Cremer (September 5, 1989). "Dolphins drop McNeal, Brudzinski and Stout". St. Petersburg Times.
  20. ↑ "Gerald White". LinkedIn.com.
  21. ↑ "Home Page". Gerald White International.
  22. 1 2 "Gerald White International moves HQ to Ann Arbor". Crain's Detroit Business. April 28, 2010.
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