Weber State University Athletics
Lee White on College Football Hall of Fame ballot
6/2/2015 9:06:00 PM | Football
Former Weber State football standout Lee White is a candidate for the College Football Hall of Fame. White was named to the official 2016 ballot, which was released Tuesday by the National Football Foundation and the College Hall of Fame.
A total of 76 players and five coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 92 players and 27 coaches from the divisional ranks were named to the ballot.
A native of Las Vegas, White played three seasons for the Wildcats from 1965-67. His head coach Sark Arslanian said White “put Weber State on the map”. He twice earned Big Sky All-Conference honors and as a senior in 1967, earned First Team All-American honors. He finished his career as Weber State's career rushing leader and today ranks third in school history. He rushed for 3,062 yards and had 34 rushing touchdowns in his career with the Wildcats. As a senior in 1967, he led the Big Sky in rushing with 1,378 yards and nine touchdowns, which stood as the most rushing yards in a season in Weber State history for more than 30 years. He rushed for a career-high 276 yards against Idaho in 1967, now the third most yards in a game in Weber State history.
He was a member of the first class inducted into the Weber State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1989. He was also named to the Big Sky Conference Silver Anniversary Team in 1988.
White was drafted in the first round (17th overall) of the 1968 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He is the only Weber State player to ever be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft and is one of just four players in the history of the Big Sky Conference selected in the first round.
He went on to play five years in the NFL. As a rookie he was part of the 1968 Jets team that won Super Bowl III led by Joe Namath. He spent three seasons with the Jets, playing in 29 games and rushing for 303 yards. He also played with the Los Angeles Rams and the San Diego Chargers, appearing in 44 career games in the NFL.
The announcement of the 2016 Class will be made Friday, Jan. 8, 2016, at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, Ariz. The hotel is serving as the official media hotel for the College Football Playoff National Championship, which will be played Jan. 11 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
To be eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame ballot, players must have been named a First Team All-American by a major/national selector as recognized and utilized by the NCAA for their consensus All-America teams; played their last year of intercollegiate football at least 10 years prior; played within the last 50 years and cannot be currently playing professional football. Coaches must have coached a minimum of 10 years and 100 games as a head coach; won at least 60 percent of their games; and be retired from coaching for at least three years. If a coach is retired and over the age of 70, there is no waiting period. If he is over the age of 75, he is eligible as an active coach. In both cases, the candidate's post-football record as a citizen may also be weighed.
Once nominated for consideration, all player candidates are submitted to one of eight District Screening Committees, depending on their school's geographic location, which conducts a vote to determine who will appear on the ballot and represent their respective districts. Each year, approximately 15 candidates, who are not selected for the Hall of Fame, will be named automatic holdovers and will bypass the district screening process and automatically appear on the ballot the following year. Additionally, the Veterans Committee may make recommendations to the Honors Court for exceptions that allow for the induction of players who played more than 50 years ago.
