Age: 22
College: Grambling
Height: 5’11” Weight: 189
Prelude:
White was a
wingback in college who scored 43 touchdowns overall and was Southwestern
Athletic Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 1975. He was chosen by
the Vikings in the second round of the ’76 NFL draft and he moved into the
starting role vacated by John Gilliam, who had departed for the Falcons.
1976 Season Summary
Appeared in all
14 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 51
[11, tied with Ken Burrough]
Most
receptions, game – 9 (for 139 yds.) vs. LA Rams 9/19, (for 120 yds.) at Miami
12/11
Yards – 906 [5, 1st in NFC]
Most yards,
game – 210 (on 7 catches) vs. Detroit 11/7
Average gain
– 17.8 [15]
TDs – 10 [3,
tied with Bob Chandler & Dave Casper, 1st in NFC]
200-yard
receiving games – 1
100-yard
receiving games – 3
Rushing
Attempts – 5
Yards – -10
Average gain
– -2.0
TDs – 0
Kickoff
Returns
Returns – 9
Yards – 173
Average per
return – 19.2
TDs – 0
Longest
return – 36 yards
Punt Returns
Returns – 3
Yards – 45
Average per
return – 15.0
TDs – 0
Longest
return – 31 yards
Scoring
TDs – 10 [9,
tied with Bob Chandler, Dave Casper & Andy Johnson]
Points – 60
Postseason: 3 G
Pass
receptions – 9
Most pass receptions,
game – 5 vs. Oakland, Super Bowl
Pass
receiving yards – 141
Most pass
receiving yards, game – 77 vs. Oakland, Super Bowl
Average yards
per reception – 15.7
Pass
Receiving TDs – 3
Rushing
attempts – 1
Rushing yards
– 7
Rushing TDs –
0
Kickoff returns
– 4
Kickoff
return yards – 79
Kickoff
return avg. – 19.8
Kickoff
return TDs – 0
Awards & Honors:
NFL Offensive
Rookie of the Year: AP, PFWA
NFC Rookie of
the Year: UPI, NEA, Sporting News
1st
team All-NFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl
Vikings went 11-2-1
to finish first in the NFC Central while leading the conference in passing
yards (2855). Won NFC Divisional playoff over Washington Redskins (35-20) and
NFC Championship over Los Angeles Rams (24-13). Lost Super Bowl to Oakland
Raiders (32-14).
Aftermath:
Fast and a
potent deep receiver, and benefiting from the presence of Ahmad Rashad on the
other side, White had another Pro Bowl year in 1977 as he caught 41 passes for
760 yards (18.5 avg.) and nine touchdowns. While he was not chosen to the Pro
Bowl again, he remained a consistent and productive receiver, peaking with a
1981 season in which he achieved career highs in receptions (66) and yards
(1001). White missed five games due to a muscle pull in 1983 and further
injuries limited his effectiveness in his last two seasons of 1984 and ’85. Over
the course of ten seasons that were all with the Vikings, White caught 393
passes for 6400 yards (16.3 avg.) and 50 touchdowns, and he had another 17
catches for 313 yards (18.4 avg.) and five TDs in the postseason.
--
Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were named Rookie
of the Year in the NFL, AFL (1960-69), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized
organization (Associated Press – Offense or Defense, Newspaper Enterprise
Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, or the league
itself – Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year).
