White Invited to Senior Bowl
December 13, 2008 02:45 PM | General
December 13, 2008
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Pat White has accepted an invitation to participate in the 2009 Under Armour Senior Bowl to be played at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., on Saturday, Jan. 24.
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| Pat White becomes the 38th player invited to play in the Senior Bowl.
David Miller photo |
White becomes the 38th West Virginia University player to accept an invitation to play in the prestigious game, becoming the first Mountaineer player to do so as a quarterback.
“I grew up watching the Senior Bowl,” said White. “It was always a fun experience for me to go to the practices, getting autographs and meeting the big named college players who were trying to make it to the NFL.”
The Daphne, Ala., resident makes his return home after a terrific four-year career leading the Mountaineers to a pair of BCS bowl victories over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl and over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, along with a win over Georgia Tech in the 2007 Gator Bowl.
White will be quarterbacking his fourth bowl game later this month in the Meineke Car Care Bowl against North Carolina in Charlotte, N.C., on Dec. 27.
White is college football’s most prolific running quarterback with 4,425 yards rushing for his career. The two-time Big East player of the year had another outstanding campaign in 2008, competing 63.6 percent of his passes for 1,510 yards and 18 touchdowns.
He also ranked second on the team in rushing with 919 yards and eight touchdowns and an average of 5.4 yards per carry.
White presently owns 16 West Virginia, Big East and NCAA records.
“I think that Pat White proved to the nation this season that he can beat you with more than just his legs,” said Senior Bowl President Steve Hale. “He deserves the chance to perform in front of NFL coaches and scouts in attendance here that week as a quarterback.”
Many NFL draft experts consider White a professional prospect as a wide receiver.
“For me to have the opportunity is a dream come true,” White said. “I hope I have the opportunity to give my family and friends a good show.
“This is special because it is my hometown. I never expected to be playing quarterback in the Senior Bowl. It’s a blessing to have made it this far.”
The Under Armour Senior Bowl is college football’s premier pre-draft event featuring the best senior college football players and top NFL draft prospects. Both teams are coached by NFL coaching staffs with more than 800 NFL personnel in attendance during practice that week.
Last year, fullback Owen Schmitt was invited to the game but was unable to play due to an injury sustained the week of practice.
