Pat White was the nation's most versatile threat at quarterback, becoming the first college quarterback to start and win four consecutive bowl games from 2005-08.
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The Daphne, Alabama, native set 19 WVU, Big East and national records during his illustrious career, including finishing as the all-time rushing quarterback in NCAA history with 4,480 yards (now ranks second).
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West Virginia was 35-8 with White as the starting quarterback. He led the Mountaineers to bowl wins in the 2006 Sugar, 2007 Gator, 2008 Fiesta and 2008 Meineke Car Care. White set the Big East records in touchdowns responsible for (103), total offense (10,529) and became the first player in Big East history to pass for more than 10,000 yards. He posted a 7-2 record against Top 25 opponents during his career.
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As a freshman in 2005, White earned first team freshman All-America honors by The Sporting News, Scout and College Football News, leading WVU to a BIG East title, finishing the season 10-1 and 7-0 in the Big East. He ranked second in WVU all-time freshman rushing with 952 yards and seven touchdowns. That season, he set a Big East and WVU quarterback rushing record with 220 yards against Pitt, breaking the Big East mark of 210 yards set by Michael Vick of Virginia Tech. The season culminated with White leading the Mountaineers to a win over No. 8 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
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White was named the Big East Offensive Player of the Year in 2006 and was a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award. White broke his own school and Big East record for rushing yards by a quarterback when he ran for 247 yards against Syracuse, the fourth-best single game rushing effort in WVU history. Against Pitt, he rushed for 220 yards and threw for 204, becoming one of only eight players in NCAA history to rush and pass for 200 yards in the same game. His 424 yards of total offensive tied Marc Bulger's school record. White directed the Mountaineers to a Gator Bowl win over Georgia Tech and earned Gator Bowl MVP honors.
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As a junior in 2007, White was named Big East Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight year as well as earning All-Big East First Team honors for the second consecutive year, while leading WVU to another Big East title. He was named a semifinalist for the O'Brien Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year awards while finishing sixth in the Heisman Trophy balloting. White led the Mountaineers in rushing with 1,335 yards, threw for 1,724 yards and accumulated 3,059 yards of total offense with 28 touchdowns. The season ended with WVU's second BCS victory in three years with a Fiesta Bowl win over No. 3 Oklahoma and he earned Fiesta Bowl Offensive MVP honors.
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In White's final season, he eclipsed the 4,000-yard rushing, 6,000-yard passing, 10,000-yard total offense and 4,000-yard all-purpose yardage marks. He finished his career fourth on the school's all-time all-purpose yardage list with 4,480 yards. For the season, White ran for 974 yards and eight touchdowns and passed for 1,842 yards and 21 touchdowns. He threw for a career-best and bowl-best 332 yards on 26-of-32 passing and three touchdowns in the win against North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. That season, he threw for five touchdowns against Villanova, setting a Milan Puskar Stadium record (the second most in a game in school history). White was named All-Big East First Team for the third straight year and was a finalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Senior Award.
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White was drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, playing the 2009 season with the Dolphins. He played on the practice squad for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League in 2011, signed with the Washington Redskins in 2013 and then played one season for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League in 2014. He announced his retirement from professional football in 2015. Also a standout on the diamond, White was selected by the Anaheim Angels in the fourth round of the 2004 Major League Basketball draft, but opted to attend WVU. White was drafted in the later rounds of the 2007 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, in 2008 by the Cincinnati Reds and in 2009 by the New York Yankees. He signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals in 2010 and with the Miami Marlins in 2013.
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White graduated from WVU in 2008 with a Regents Bachelor of Arts degree. He has two daughters, Daphne Ruth White and Clara Vonne Marie White. In April 2018, White was hired as the quarterbacks coach at Alcorn State, working for offensive coordinator Ryan Stanchek, a teammate at WVU.
