When an NFL fan thinks of Pat White, the word bust could come to mind. A highly touted quarterback from West Virginia, White never panned out in the NFL. The Dolphins drafted White with the hope that he could become the face of the franchise and instead ended up releasing him. Now, White is attempting to rewrite history by giving the NFL one more chance, but will there be a team that comes calling for the quarterback.
White was a second-round draft pick to the Miami Dolphins in 2009. Considered at the time to be one of the top NFL prospects, White's NFL career stat line is 0 for 5 in passing for 81 yards and 21 rushing attempts. He did not record a single touchdown, either passing or rushing. He got knocked out and had to be carried off the field in the Dolphins' 2009 season finale game. He has not played a game since.
White was thought to be the next great Michael Vick with his ability to be a mobile quarterback, however while he was in the NFL, the thought of a mobile quarterback was still a novelty and White could not make it work. The Dolphins drafted him with Wildcat dreams that could never be executed.
Now, he will attempt to resurrect an NFL career that never truly began. White will work out at West Virginia's pro day in front of NFL scouts for every team. Geno Smith will bring a lot of attention to the pro day, which can only benefit White since more teams are expected to show up. White has been working with quarterback guru George Whitfield Jr., who has helped players like Ben Roethlisberger, Cam Newton an Andrew Luck prepare for the NFL.
It is reported that White has been considering the return to the NFL for months. He spoke to media during the 2012 Senior Bowl this past January. He was attempting to seek out any possible interest in him from other teams.
White ended a stellar career at West Virginia with a total of 6,501 yards passing with 56 passing touchdowns and 4,480 yards rushing and 47 touchdowns rushing. He set the record for FBS rushing yards by a quarterback and posted the best won-loss record in West Virginia history. He was a three-time bowl game MVP, winning multiple national awards.
With the emergence of explosive quarterbacks like Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick, teams may look at White to be the next big thing. His speed shows he can be explosive trying to run the ball and that may be enough to balance out his deficiencies in the passing game. At 6-0, 190 pounds, White lacks the size of an NFL quarterback. He is now 27-years old and his age might be a big barrier against him.
If the NFL does not pan out for White, he was offered a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins. White was drafted in the fourth round of the MLB draft by the Los Angeles Angels and spent time in the Royal's instructional league in 2010.
