CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The proudest accomplishment of Pat White's college football career is not any of the 15 NCAA, Big East and school records he set. It came before he was even on the West Virginia team.
Four months after White signed with the school in 2004, the Angels selected him in the fourth round of the baseball draft and offered a six-figure signing bonus. White decided to stick with football.
"My favorite moment as a player was when I realized I wanted to be a Mountaineer," he said. "The day of my visit, when I ran out on that field, it felt like nothing I've ever felt before."
For now, White has some business at hand leading West Virginia (8-4) into the Meineke Bowl on Saturday against North Carolina (8-4) in Charlotte, N.C.
White has won all three bowls in which he's played. He topped Sam Bradford and Oklahoma in last January's Fiesta Bowl and has wins over Georgia Tech in the 2007 Gator Bowl and Georgia in the 2006 Sugar Bowl.
"He is an electrifying athlete," North Carolina coach Butch Davis said. "Just watching his film and the games that we've been able to catch on television over the last two years, he executes the read-option offense about as well as anybody you've ever seen. He explodes out of breaks. The thing I think makes him equally as dangerous is that he can throw the football very, very well."
White's 4,425 yards rushing are the most in NCAA history for a quarterback.
In an unprecedented move, West Virginia wore its white road uniforms for White's final home game Dec. 6 against South Florida. Footprints etched White's No. 5 in the snow on the field before and after the game.
Some Mountaineer fans have labeled him the greatest football player in school history.
"Everybody's entitled to their opinion," White said. "And I'm grateful to those that think so."
First-year coach Bill Stewart was White's quarterbacks coach in 2005 and 2006 before moving on to other duties. He recalled several moments that personify White.
As a backup to Adam Bednarik during the first half of 2005, White never asked about playing time. White's father had flown to see his son at Rutgers, but White saw action only briefly.
Stewart told White, "Buddy, I'm sorry I didn't get you into the game (more) today. Adam had the hot hand."
