FOOTBALL

Sunday Buzz: Charles White Wants USC To Welcome Him Back

Former USC Heisman Trophy winner Charles White has been living in an assisted-care facility for the past two years and been diagnosed with Stage 2 dementia, according to a column today by the L.A. Times’ Bill Plashcke.

White has had dementia for 10 years, according to the column.

“Everything I did in football, it was all USC,” White said.

White wants USC to welcome him back. His ex-wife, who manages his care, emailed Lincoln Riley but did not get a response.

“It’s like USC is a brother who just isn’t there anymore,” White’s daughter Tara said. “Such a big part of our life and now … nothing.”

USC changed its tune, however, once Plaschke contacted them for his column.

“Charles White’s Heisman Trophy is prominently displayed on our campus, and I know that the memories and thrills he provided live on in Trojans around the world,” Mike Bohn said. “I look forward to learning more about the challenges in his life. The opportunity to understand our former athletes and grow with them is very important to us.”

  • Iowa at USC in 1961. Tickets were $3.50.

It’ll cost more when USC plays the Hawkeyes again.

82 thoughts on “Sunday Buzz: Charles White Wants USC To Welcome Him Back”

  1. I would hope there is ALWAYS a response to former players…especially those with problems. I’d love to send him a card and thank him for the many exciting moments he provided. Can we send to USC and have them forward or….

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    1. I had an old high school friend send a letter to USC 15-20 years ago, asking them to forward to me, which they did! And I’m a nobody.

      I would think they’d gladly do that for someone who accomplished so much for us on the field.

      Liked by 2 people

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      1. I asked USC to forward a letter to my extraordinary 17th Century English Professor, Virginia Tufte before she died— they politely refused to. I contacted the Faculty Center and asked if they would contact her if I placed the letter on their site …and they also politely said no.
        [I guess the USC bureaucracy wisely took into consideration the tremendous liability, treble damages and possible criminal sanctions —up to & including the death penalty —implicated in forwarding thank you letters]…

        Liked by 5 people

  2. Very sad story on Charles White- he should always be welcome at USC regardless of his age, health, or financial status. You never hear much about Anthony Davis (AD) any longer either nor do you see him arund.

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  3. Why would USC embrace Charles White who’s brought nothing but glory to the University. The administration rather employ sexual predators like Dr. George Tyndall , and payout $852m dollars to his victims. The article indicates that White’s ex-wife sent a email to Lincoln Riley informing him of his condition, but as usual with SC, there was no response. Now that the LA Times has exposed the University once AGAIN, I’m sure they will save face in the upcoming weeks, and make a public statement…😂😂😂

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    1. FORMER TROJAN…Your words appear sadly true. I hope Coach Riley did not receive the email and it was screened by a subordinate with no values and character.

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  4. So sad, prayers out to him, and I am glad that he has someone to manage his care. I suspect that his ex-wife’s email to Riley fell through the cracks; someone first vets the emails and forwards those to Riley that the vetter chooses to advance, and that is probably where the failure occurred.

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    1. JUST READ WOLF AND ALL FIVE COMMENTS AHEAD OF ME
      THEN WENT BACK AND RE READ EVERYTHING AGAIN
      I HARDLY KNOW WHAT TO SAY
      FIRST I FULLY AGREE WITH EVERYONE
      I KNEW CHARLES WAS HAVING SOME TROUBLE BUT DIDNT KNOW THE EXTENT

      ANYTHING ANY OF US ON THR BOARD CAN DO TO HELP HIM WE SHOULD DO
      AND THESAMEGOES FOR ANTHONY DAVIS
      WE OWE THOSE GUYS SO MUCH

      THIS IS JUST SAD SAD NEWS
      AND 67 I HOPE YOURE RIGHT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
      I REALLY HOPE THAT MAN

      BY THE WAY WELCOME BACK BROTHER
      WE ALL MISSED YOU

      Liked by 3 people

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    2. And the letter is best addressed to Mike Bohn…. who can and should make the reunion happen.
      P.S.
      So nice to see you, 67! Not the same w/o you!

      Liked by 2 people

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    3. I did pop that Angel’s Envy. Very nice and like you, I enjoy that long, smooth vanilla finish. On a chilly winter evening, I might enjoy something neat. But this time of year, it’s gonna be on the rocks. So it is diluted ever so slightly.

      I also picked up Bourbon’s suggestion of Double Oaked Woodfood Reserve, but haven’t popped it yet. I’ll wait until I finish either the Yellowstone or the Angel’s Envy. (As a Yellowstone fan I had to try it. But not sure I’d get it again. It’s not bad, at all. Just nothing very special. I like the Angel’s Envy more.)

      I also have a bottle of Rogue Spirit’s “Dead Guy Whiskey”. But that, too, shall wait.

      I hope you and Bourbon will try that Wild Turkey Longbranch and let me know what you think! As previously mentioned, I always picked up their Rare Breed when I wanted something special. But the Longbranch is better in my opinion and $10-15 cheaper!

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    1. Sorry to hear that, Travis. A high price to pay for something that is really nothing more than entertainment.

      I hope he enjoyed a decent quality of life and that the bad part was very brief, before his passing. May he rest in peace.

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      1. Thanks. Sorry for the bit of rage. My dad wouldn’t of had it any other way I just don’t like when they act like they don’t know what’s up.

        Liked by 4 people

      2. No apology necessary. Pretty tame, considering it was your pop!

        Any one of us would’ve felt the same, were it one of our loved ones.

        Liked by 2 people

    2. Prayers out to him and you, Travis. The ’67 team was one for the ages. First game I ever saw was with my pop and was in ’67, hence my handle. I was 9, and watching that team hooked me for the long haul. They were so dominant. Just that one loss to Oregon State marred that season. Mud is the great equalizer, as Dee Andros and his team demonstrated.

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      2. 3-0. What can you say. “Earthquake” Enyart, their All-American fullback kept running the ball, just enough to get first downs. I remember reading somewhere that the officials had to place a towel beneath the ball at the LOS so the ball wouldn’t sink in the mud…

        Hope Bill Jensen is reading and can tell us what that game was like. That game was the best ad for synthetic turf I could imagine. If only, then I suspect USC would have won. Enyart thrived in the mud. Steve Sogge didn’t. I think outside of OJ, the USC offense generated less than 30 yards of offense.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. McKay said —and who can blame him? —that in that kind of game he thought O. J. would eventually prevail….
        #It’sAmazingHeDidn’t,Actually….

        Liked by 1 person

      4. OJ fumbled in the 4th, but who could blame him with the conditions. I think he ran for close to 200 yards, but the Beavs stopped him when they needed to, despite Ron Yary at OT. Those Dee Andros teams were tough.

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Dee Andros himself was tough –it was one of those cases of a team becoming an extension of the character of their coach [kinda like what our team did last year in the Stanford game]….

        Liked by 1 person

  8. I remember those $3.50 tickets, and $5.00 Rose Bowl tickets and programs were .50cents…today parking is 5 times that if you are lucky…
    Not sure what Charles White is talking about,of course dementia hits most people at some point in the latter years…and some earlier. It has been over 40 yrs since he left SC for the rest of his lifes adventures,so he must be in early 60’s.
    SC certainly has honored his memory,seems relatives are alluding they are obligated to do more? Far as I know he has always been welcome to return to campus any time like others have incl many teammates who are just as famous.

    Liked by 4 people

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    1. Great final round and clutch putt on the 18th. I know St. Andrews is the birthplace of golf and all that, but how does one climb out of those crazy bunkers? Or even climb in? Maybe you just ask the caddy to pick up the ball and bring it out for you?

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  12. One of the great SC finishes was Charles White taking over the 1980 Rose Bowl for nearly 250 yards rushing, and almost single-handedly moving the team 80 yards in the closing minutes to beat Ohio St 17-16.
    Taking over at about the Trojan 20, Charles’ first run was for nearly 30 yards, and the second was for about 25 yards. At that point you just felt SC and White were going to pull it out.

    It was his final game as a Trojan in a 4-year career and he gave it everything he had. It was one of the few games my wife attended with me, so I treasure it on several different levels.

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    2. JUST RE WATCHED THAT GAME ABOUT A MONTH AGO
      THATS ABOUT THE ONLY THING THE PAC TWELVE NETWORK IS GOOD FOR
      CHARLES WAS UNBELIEVABLE
      UNSTOPPABLE
      HE JUST WOULDNT GO DOWN

      RE THE OREGON ST LOSS
      NO TV
      BUT I LISTENED ON THE RADIO
      BEFORE THE FIELD GOAL ATTEMPT THE ANNOUNCER SAID LIKE. NO WAY
      BUT HE MADE IT
      ON A DRY FIELD WE WIN EASILY
      ONA RAINY DAY WE WIN EASILY
      BUT THAT WAS QUICKSAND
      THE NEXT GAME WE GOT WELL IN A HURRY
      21-20 OVER THE BRUINS AND AN UNDISPUTED NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
      BEAT INDIANA 14-3 IN THE ROSE BOWL
      THATS ALL FROM MY MEMORY
      BUT AS I SAID YESTERDAY
      DID I GO TO THE BATHROOM YET TODAY ??

      Liked by 2 people

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      1. THAT’S MY TEAM !! I PLAY LB BEHIND ARDRIAN YOUNG AND JIM SNOW. I PLAYED AS A SUBSTITUTE WHEN THEY WERE TIRED OR MADE A BAD PLAY. WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER LOST THAT GAME TO OREGON ST. McKAY MADE SOME REALLY POOR DECISIONS IN THAT GAME. I WAS 18 YEARS OLD, AND I COULD FIGURE OUT WHAT HE SHOULD HAVE DONE. OJ NEEDED TO GO OUTSIDE THE HASH MARKS, NOT INSIDE WHERE THE MUD WAS.. WE WON THE NEXT GAME OVER UCLA 21-20 AND WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.. STILL A BITTER LOSS!
        BOB JENSEN #51 LB

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      2. My favorite S. I. cover will always be “California Earthquake” after the 55-24 comeback against Notre Dame….

        Liked by 2 people

    3. I’ll never forget that Bama game – shocked the world. White – Sims was as good a Heisman battle as we’ve ever seen – either player would have deserved it but Billy already won as a junior. My dad went to OU and I saw OU barely beat Stanford at the Farm in 78, sitting next to Steve Owens. Elway beat them the next year in Norman. Billy had a much better NFL career though CW did win that one rushing title with the Rams late in his career. I was a Lions fan then because of Sims, and those teams routinely missed the playoffs by the narrowest of margins. I saw CW working in the USC business office in the early 90s.

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  15. Off topic…. but file this one under “WTF!” —In 2021 Phil Steele rated Lincoln Riley the Best Coach in the Big 12 —- this year he rates him as the 7th best in the Pac 12 [presumably out of deference to all the shitcan coaches who’ve been in the Pac 12 longer than Riley]…..
    #LincolnHasToWorkHisWayPastHerm&WilcoxInPac12Ratings?!
    #BeFuckingSerious,Phil

    Liked by 2 people

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  17. There’s not one Rah-Rah on this blog that would pay the price for Mr. White’s FB glory. White is only 64 yrs. old. Worse yet, his ex-wife has to write Clown U to get a little help from the so called “Trojan family.” Clown U, what a pathetic institution.

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    1. IT IS A SAD STORY RE CHARLES
      AND WE ARE HOPING THE EX WIFES E MAIL DIDNT GET THRU TO ITS PROPER DESTINATION

      AND WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO HELP CHARLES NOW THAT ITS BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION

      THATS THE TROJAN FAMILY OWNS !!

      Liked by 2 people

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      1. Clown U reminds me of a mule that needed a heavy blow the head with a 2″x4″ to get its attention.

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    2. My Dear Freind Owns–
      Let me tell you another story —this one is about a standup comic, balloon blower and banjo player from UCLA. He, too, returned to his campus during the waning stages of his career —without enough money to buy a One Day Parking Pass. He told Security all he wanted was to see the inverted fountain one last time [and maybe ride the 15 foot bear sculpture naked]….but was turned away. He left in tears. That man’s name was Steve Martin.
      #SayItOutLoud!

      Liked by 1 person

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      2. I was just informed by text you were with Steve on that trip…. and that UCLA Security was probably gonna let him in for $3 ….but you insisted on the naked bear ride that got him kicked out….
        #MakeThingsRightForSteveBeforeWorryingAboutCharles

        Liked by 1 person

    3. Leave it to this clown who goes by “JustOwns” to turn this story into a puerile rant. What a piece of work. Just when you think you hit rock bottom with this guy. Time to throw off you childish behavior, Owns. You are truly an embarrasment to yourself and (if you even have one) your family.

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      2. Bruin Rob actually takes that as compliment. That’s why he had the yawn reply. He just didn’t want to have admit to it, that’s all. Nothing he says is of any importance on here. It’s just to seek attention because they ignore him on the ruin sites. As a matter a fact no body cares!. The ruins suck! They will always be USCs step child.

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      3. The response from this guy was what I expected. That is what you expect to get from a man-child. A UCLA fan that hangs out at a USC blog–what a sad little empty guy.

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  18. I don’t subscribe to the LA Times and have not read the article. But, what exactly does the ex-wife want from USC. Clearly, he is always “welcome” by the SC community. He is a beloved figure, a truly great player. Is the family having difficulty paying for his assisted care? Do they want SC or their donors to pay for it? Are they blaming SC for the dementia? Do they want someone to write them a large check to show how much they appreciate what Charles did for the university? I suspect the answer is YES but just want to clarify.

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    2. HI PLOW HORSE
      FIRST
      APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTFUL POST
      SECOND
      ECHO ALL THAT MICHAEL SAID
      THIRD
      YOUR POST RAISES A WHOLE HOST OF QUESTIONS THAT EXTEND WELL BEYOND CHARLES WHITE
      I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN BRO

      Liked by 2 people

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  20. Scooter and the rest,

    I think Sc needs to set up a fund for players that need help. Yes, they ahve govt issued checks, but what SC got out of them was their heart, soul, mind, and body. Sc needs to recognize that and help take care of these players, maybe through dr’s care, maybe some money, therapy, wahtever. Just an idea.

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