Jason White (American football)

Infobox NFLretired
name=Jason White


caption=White as a Sooner.
width=200
position=Quarterback
number=18
birthdate=birth date and age|1980|6|19
deathdate=
debutyear=2000
finalyear=2004
undraftedyear=2005
college=Oklahoma
teams=
* Tennessee Titans* (2005):*Offseason and/or practice squad member only
stat1label=TD-INT
stat1value=81-24
stat2label=Yards
stat2value=7,913
highlights=
* 2003 Heisman Trophy
* 2003 Davey O'Brien Award
* 2004 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
* 2004 Maxwell Award

Jason White (born June 19 1980) is a former quarterback for the University of Oklahoma football team from 1999 to 2004 (jersey number 18). White was raised in Tuttle, Oklahoma playing high-school football there with the Tuttle Tigers (jersey number 17).

After suffering from consecutive anterior cruciate ligament tears and reconstructive knee surgeries on both knees during the 2001 and 2002 seasons, White won the Heisman Trophy in 2003 after throwing 40 touchdown passes and 8 interceptions. White was also the recipient of the Associated Press Player of the Year, consensus All-American, consensus Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, the Davey O'Brien Award and the Jim Thorpe Courage Award in his 2003 season. He was awarded a medical hardship by the NCAA and allowed to play a second senior year in 2004.cite web | title=All-American: Jason White | publisher=SoonerSports.com | url=http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/aa-jason-white-2003.html | accessdate=2007-12-13 ] [cite news | title=Better sooner than never: two ACL injuries—one on each knee—cost Oklahoma quarterback Jason White most of two seasons. How healthy and at the helm of a surprisingly potent offense, he's making up for lost time | url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_42_227/ai_110404221 | publisher=Sporting News, The | accessdate=2007-12-13 | date=2003-10-20 | first=Hayes | last=Matt ]

White was again a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in 2004, trying to become just the second player after Archie Griffin to win the honor twice, but instead finished third. White did win the Davey O'Brien Award for the second straight year, becoming the third quarterback ever to win the prestigous award two years in a row. He led the Sooners to the Big 12 championship game in 2003, which they lost to Kansas State. [cite news | title=Wildcats Upset Top-ranked Sooners To Claim Big 12 Championship | url=http://www.big12sports.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/120603aaa.html | publisher=Big12Sports.com | accessdate=2007-12-13 | first=Josh | last=Dubow | date=2003-12-07 ] With the help of the second place Heisman Trophy finisher Adrian Peterson, White took the Oklahoma Sooners to the national championship game once more, the Orange Bowl, in 2004, but lost soundly to USC, 55-19. White finished his collegiate career as the University of Oklahoma's all-time leader in career passing yards (8,012) and touchdown passes (81). [cite news | title=Oklahoma Reflects on 12-1 Season | publisher=SoonerSports.com | url=http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/010505aad.html | date=2005-01-05 | accessdate=2007-12-13 ]

Despite his strong college career, White was not selected in the 2005 NFL Draft and did not receive a tryout from any NFL team in the first several weeks of post-draft free agency. He did eventually receive a tryout from the Kansas City Chiefs who opted not to sign him. Eventually the Tennessee Titans signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2005, [cite web | url=http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/061805aaa.html | title=Sooners in the National Football League | accessdate=2007-12-13 | publisher=SoonerSports.com ] but White decided to quit professional football, citing weak knees. White has expressed a possible interest in coaching sometime in the future. [cite news | title=J. White Says Knees Were Reason for Retiring | date=2005-08-11 | accessdate=2007-12-13 | url=http://www.kffl.com/player/9048/NFL | publisher=KFFL.com ]

White's on-the-field accomplishments have been further honored in Tuttle with the painting of a local water tower to read "Home of Jason White 2003 Heisman Trophy Winner". [cite news | title=Top player White out to help Oklahoma finish as top team | publisher=USA Today | url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/big12/2004-12-03-oklahoma-white-cover_x.htm | first=Kelly | last=Whiteside | accessdate=2007-12-13 | date=2004-12-03 ] This tower is readily seen from the center of town, just west of State Highways 4 and 37. Additionally, a section of Cimarron Road in the city was renamed "Jason White Boulevard".

Today, White owns and operates A Store Divided, an OU/OSU memorabilia store, and a The Athlete's Foot shoe store. [cite press release | title=Heisman Winner Teams Up with Homeland | accessdate=2007-12-13 | date=2007-07-30 | publisher=Jason White's Store Divided | url=http://store-divided.com/news.html ] He also worked with insurance agent Steve Owens, another former Sooner Heisman Trophy winner and former athletic director at the University of Oklahoma. Prior to that, White worked briefly for a securities firm in downtown Oklahoma City.

In 2007, a bronze statue of White was dedicated on the University of Oklahoma campus in Heisman Park, commemorating his 2003 award. [cite news | title=Oklahoma To Unveil Statue Of 2003 Heisman Winner Jason White | url=http://www.ktul.com/news/stories/0907/453586.html | date=2007-09-07 | accessdate=2007-12-13 | publisher=KTUL.com ]

References

Persondata
NAME=White, J.J.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Football player
DATE OF BIRTH=June 19 1980
PLACE OF BIRTH=Tuttle, Oklahoma
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=