How did Charles White die? USC Heisman Trophy Winner remembered as 'one of the all-time great Trojans'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Former USC star Charles White died on Wednesday, January 11, 2023, the USC Trojans announced. He was 64 years old. The former NFL star, who won the 1979 Heisman Trophy, died from cancer in Newport Beach, California. White is survived by his ex-wife Judianne White-Basch, their children Nicole White, Julian White, Tara White, Ashton White, Sophia White and granddaughter Giovanna Hemmen.
White was a member of the Trojans' 1978 national championship team and played 9 seasons in the NFL. He was USC's third Heisman Trophy winner and is still the school's career rushing leader, with a total of 6,245 rushing yards, while scoring 49 touchdowns. A 4-year USC letterman and 2-time unanimous All-American, White set 22 NCAA, Pac-10, USC and Rose Bowl records. He captained the 1979 Trojans while leading the nation in rushing. As a senior in 1979, he also won the Walter Camp, Maxwell and Pop Warner Award.
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The announcement made by USC Trojans, included the statements of White's former head coach John Robinson and USC athletic director Mike Bohn. "He was the toughest player I've ever coached," said John Robinson, White's former USC and Rams head coach. "He was really unusual in that regard. He was a great player and just loved playing the game. Those are the things I remember the most. He was a really tough guy, and he was an extremely gifted athlete. But the toughness…wow!", Robinson added.
Calling White 'one of the all-time great Trojans', the USC athletic director Mike Bohn said, "Charles White was one of the all-time great Trojans. A Rose Bowl legend, a two-time unanimous All-American and a NCAA record setter, he made USC proud donning the Cardinal and Gold. He will always be remembered by the Trojan Family for the history he made on the football field and the legacy he left at Troy. Fight On Forever!"
#FightOnForever, Charles White.
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) January 12, 2023
The 1979 Heisman Trophy winner, who won a national championship with USC in 1978 and went on to make the College Football Hall of Fame, died today in Newport Beach. He was 64. pic.twitter.com/iH0ANvslSM
The announcement further elaborated on White's achievements, who was a 3-time All-Conference first teamer from 1977 to 1979 and was USC's team MVP in 1978 and 1979. He won the 1978 Voit Trophy while finishing fourth in the Heisman voting as a junior. He was USC's rushing leader in 1977, 1978 and 1979, as well as the school's total offense leader in 1978. He was the scoring leader in 1978 (86 points) and 1979 (114 points) and kickoff return leader in 1976. He had 31 career 100-yard rushing games, including 10 in 1979.
White was also the 1978 and 1979 Rose Bowl Player of the Game and a member of the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996. He made the Pac-12 All-Century Team in 2015. He also was a hurdler on USC's 1979 track team.
White was a first round pick in the 1980 NFL Draft, he played with the Browns (1980-84) and Rams (1985-88). He led the league in rushing in 1987. He returned to USC in 1990 as a special assistant to the athletic director. In 1993, he became an assistant football coach in charge of the Trojan running backs (a position he held through 1997). He then held an administrative job at USC.