O.J. Simpson created what most experts believe is the greatest, most famous play in USC football history, the 64-yard run against UCLA in 1967 to beat the Bruins in a matchup of top-four teams. That game propelled USC to a national championship, which makes O.J.’s play more significant than 4th and 9 or the Bush Push in 2005 versus Notre Dame.
However, while O.J. has the greatest play in USC football history, and while O.J. created a much bigger national name for himself, USC’s best running back ever is probably Charles White. O.J. had the better pro career, but strictly within their collegiate careers, White played more seasons and had a best season (his 1979 Heisman year) which was better than O.J.’s best season, his majestic 1968 Heisman conquest.
Charles White is simply the greatest workhorse running back at a school known for workhorse running backs. Pound for pound, no USC running back was tougher than Charles White. That statement speaks to how great he was in college. That statement also has a dark side: White’s on-field fearlessness carried a great price. The effects of the pounding White took are evident today. White has suffered brain damage and is a sad reminder of the toll this sport takes on the people who play it. It’s not something to be ignored.
In this Heisman profile, we’ll include a Bill Plaschke story from the Los Angeles Times which we noted earlier in 2022 at Trojans Wire: