If I had a vote for the College Football Hall of Fame, I’d guarantee you I’d give a nod to former Michigan State running back Lorenzo White.
Of the 76 players and eight coaches on the ballot, White is a guy who epitomized what it means to be a great college player.
The 2012 ballot, released by the National Football Foundation on Tuesday, and it would be easy to go with nominees like Brian Bosworth, Vinny Testaverde and Danny Wuerffel. But White was a dominating figure for the Spartans.
You say you don’t remember White? Well, he had one of the best seasons in Big Ten history when he rushed for 2,066 yards in 1985.
White has plenty of stiff competition, even from the state of Michigan with three Wolverines – linebacker Erick Anderson (1988-91), offensive tackle Jumbo Elliott (1984-87) and running back Robert Lytle (1974-76) – and two other Spartans – former Detroit Tigers great and MSU wide receiver Kirk Gibson (1975-78) and linebacker Percy Snow (1986-89). Darryl Rogers, who coached the Spartans from 1976-79, is on the coaches ballot as well.
I also like White because I got to see him play in high school at Fort Lauderdale’s Dillard High. That’s the same school that produced another Michigan State great in running back Hyland Hickson. So when White left the comfort of South Florida for the cold of East Lansing, I found myself rooting for him in Saturdays.
White was a legitimate Heisman candidate and finished his career with 4,242 yards and 30 touchdowns.
What are White’s chances of getting elected? I have no clue.
What I do know is he’s one of the lucky 1,900 eligible former players to make the cut. Heck, there are almost 5 million former college football players. So we are already talking about the elite of the elite.
A few other names that jumped out to me are Georgia Tech linebacker Marco Coleman, Tennessee receiver Willie Gault and former Miami Hurricanes coach Jimmy Johnson.
We’ll have to wait until May 15 when the inductees for the 2012 class will be announced. To be eligible for the ballot, players must have been named to a First Team All-America list at one point during their career. In addition, players must have played their final collegiate game at least 10 years prior to nomination, and they cannot be current members of a professional roster.
Until then, at least there is one person who I know would vote for White.
