Jason White had tears in his eyes, so Chuck Long knew something was up. White displays all the emotion of the Marlboro Man, so Long didn't have to be Tony Soprano's psychiatrist to know something was amiss in his quarterback with the wounded knees.
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The parties don't even agree on when the fateful meeting occurred. Long says February 2003, before spring practice, but White says after a spring scrimmage in 2003, which would make it March or April.
Matters not. All that matters is this: White arrived at Long's office that day ready to quit. Ready to step away from the sport that had brought him so much pain and heartache.
The other day, I asked White to name his favorite coach ever. He said Long, then told me this story. White said he'd never shared it with any Oklahoma media, just a San Diego writer when Long was hired by San Diego State after the 2005 season.
You know the background. How White was an athletic, runaround quarterback as a redshirt sophomore in 2001, before a torn knee ligament ended his season at Nebraska. And how the same thing happened on the other knee two games into the 2002 season.
Few thought he ever would play again. Those who did dared not believe he would be effective.
Count White himself among the doubters.
"I think everybody was telling him to hang it up,” Long said. "I don't know who those people were, but he was hearing it.”
That was the spring of Brent Rawls, the ballyhooed QB recruit. Rawls clearly was the superior physical quarterback. Better arm, better mobility.
White went into that spring knowing he had to prove himself worthy to retake the Sooner reins, and he sensed his moment passing.
Couldn't run. Couldn't plant stiffly. His knee was killing him.
"In my opinion, I didn't think I was playing the way I should,” White said. "I was really favoring my leg.”
So White decided to quit. He went to see his quarterback coach, the man who deserved to know first.
"He knew exactly what I was coming in there to tell him,” White said. "He seen it in my eye.”
Funny how lives can change with one simple chat. How we all have the power to impact someone who comes our way.
Long didn't go all General Patton on White, trying to shame him into toughing it out. Long also didn't commiserate with his quarterback.
"You have to find different buttons to push,” Long said.
Long found the right button. It wasn't sexy. Wasn't profound. But it was just what White needed to hear, and it's a precious trait in this instant-gratification society.
Patience.
"Regardless of what people think or how you feel, it's only February,” Long told White. "Let's see what happens.”
White recalls the message more succinctly: "He said no. He said, ‘We don't play until August.'”
Truth is, the coaches knew how bad off was White. Long said Jerry Schmidt's strength staff had warned them, "Better be sure you get another guy ready to play.”
Long gave White a plan. Coaches would modify spring practice. He would have to run very little. He would sit out every third or so workout.
"He's so tough,” Long said. "I knew he had a chance to get through this thing. I told him I believed in him as a quarterback, his toughness and work ethic.
"He's a man of few words. He said, ‘OK. I'm going to keep working.' He picked up his stuff and left.”
White's the kind of player, whatever a coach says, he accepts. Long said to wait, so White waited.
You know the rest. White gutted out the spring and didn't get discouraged when the other quarterbacks received more work. Rawls fell from favor through a series of bonehead decisions. Coaches anointed White the starter.
His knees improved, though not to the point where he ever was his old mobile self. Trainer Scott Anderson surveyed White every day to determine how much he could do in practice. White threw 40 touchdown passes and won the Heisman Trophy.
Hard as it is to believe, the story really did go like that.
"He had to total reinvent him as a quarterback,” Long said. "As a 21-year-old kid, he couldn't run anymore. Went from one style of quarterback to another. I don't think people realize how hard that was to do.
"He did it in such a graceful way. I use his example all the time with guys who get hurt.”
Coaching is about many things. Devising schemes and intuitive game moves and being organized and motivating players.
And sometimes coaching is simply telling a player what he needs to hear, exactly when he needs to hear it.
Said Jason White, who won a Heisman Trophy and contended for another after walking into an office with tears in his eyes, "I couldn't ask for a better coach.”
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Well everyone is entitled to their opinion. That is what is great about our country. Doesn't it make you just as foolish to get riled up about her comments. If you think they are so foolish and why are you even wasting you time replying to them?? The only reason people even post on this thing is to strike a nerve with someone else and she has obviously done so with you. By the way whats the deal with you trying to be match maker? Talking about I'm perfect for her, Scott wants to get in her pants... Are you lonely? I would be lonely too being a Sooner in Stillwater.
Are you too dumb to see how her "opinion" made her look foolish? She said she hates stories about past events...such as this one here...and would rather read something else, yet she is here posting about it and reading it. You don't think that made her look foolish? Maybe you two are perfect for each other.
to: never be a sooner. I could say the same thing about bedlam day in stilwater. I have been to the last 2 games in stilwater and after the game sooner fans were afraid to say anything let alone rejoice over a victory for fear an angry cowpoke might pull a gun. I believe there are some people on both sides that don't act right. by your standard you should not root for either team.
Krista, you made a fool of yourself. If you are not interested in past legends then do not read about them. Guess there are too many losses for you to look back; there is always hope for the future - Right? Michael - we didn't steal OUR NBA team, you guys gave them away by your city's lack of support. As far as the football game - be weary of jinxing your team... (hee-hee)
You are all stupid hicks....OU fans calling OSU fans rednecks is like Jeffrey Dahmer accusing Timothy McVeigh of murder....Give me a break....You are all of bunch of thieving,inbred,sister loving hayseeds...Get ready Chokelohama,you are going to have your butts handed to you when you play my Huskies in Seattle this season.....Payback time for stealing our Sonics!!!!!!
About the only place a visiting fan does not get heckled or abused is in Lincoln. Wear a Jets jersey to a Giants game, or a Dodgers jersey to a Padres game, or a Suns jersey to a Lakers game, and, folks, prepare for a load of abuse, including physical. Therefore, Sooner and Cowboy fans, best just to admit that a good portion of us, maybe not exactly "us", but plenty of the people wearing our colors, are real jerks on game day. Next time you see someone on your side act that way, do something positive and tell them to cut it out.
Jim why don't you go away... get out of Stillwater. We are a nice little town and don't need people like you here. I do agree with Jim when he says, " Most of the Pokes I've spoke with hate OU because of bad experiences with idiot Sooners." I have been to Bedlam the last 8 straight years in Norman and in Stillwater. I have never been treated more poorly than I was in Norman. I have been spit on, had ice and drinks thrown at me, cussed at by small children (while their parents watched and laughed), had some OU fans try to pick a fight with my 50 year old father... and all this was just on the way into games. By the way these things were not being done by drunk college students, that might be a little understandable, NO these were grown men AND women. So with things like that going on by not just one or two sooners but a large sum of the fans it kind of gives Sooner fans a bad rap. If Krista has had any experiences like I have it probably is a little understandable as to why she does not like Sooners.
Scott...just go away. You have yet to make a relevant point about anything. You might as well say, 'hey guys but this is what I am saying, the sky is blue, and the grass is green' Thank you for stating the obvious for us. Any other brilliant insights you wish to waste our time with? No? Ok see ya...
Don't get your panties in a wad Jim Bo! Calm down....breathe in.....breathe out...Put down the crimson colored glasses for a second and reread my message correctly. While I may not agree with Krista I won't berate her for having her own opinion. Most of the Pokes I've spoke with hate OU because of bad experiences with idiot Sooners. Not because they strive to be us, or want to be like us. I'm sure they may get sick of seeing us plastered all over the news but most of the true Cowboy fans I know could care less. What I said was most folks here would rather read about Josh Fields, Jason White, hell, Tony Lindsey or Jarrod Reese than read about something currently happening in sports that we could care less about. You're more than welcome to come down to Lawton and we can discuss it further in person.
OSU is more rural and agriculture based than OU, so stop projecting. Everyone knows we here in Stillwater are more redneck than anywhere else. If you would personally rather read stories about current news and events then why did you read this story and post about it?
Well I would personally like to read stories that are relevant and new. Not stories from writers that have nothing else to write about so they have to dig back 5 years and come up with something. Oh and I would never want to be a Sooner nor could I ever be a Sooner. I have all my teeth, don't live in a double wide and have a degree from my university... So all those pretty much disqualify my from being a Sooner. :)
From now on I do not want to hear anymore stories about any event or circumstance that happened in the past. News has to be completely about present events. And if you are going to talk about someone in the past, you better make damn sure they are doing something with themselves today. See how stupid that is?
I'm completely missing your point Scott, they hate us because we would rather hear about Jason White then Tyson Gay's muscle strain? Uh..ok? What the hell kind of reason is that, what the hell are you even saying?
Jim Bo, you're the one up the road from her. Perhaps you are the one trying to get some play? I'm just trying to be civil. I figured Krista was a Cowgirl but I'm not going to hold that against her and act like a fool like some. She asked what he's doing now, I explained. So maybe she doesn't like the guy, heck I know some Sooners that don't like him either. The day Jason injured his knee I saw him with his head down outside the Switzer Center. I walked up to him and said "hey guy, don't worry about it, everything happens for a reason and you'll be fine don't worry." He looked at me like I was crazy and said thanks. I'm proud of him for doing what he did at OU and I'm glad to see his name in the news now for charity functions. You guys have to admit that you'd rather read a five year old story about a former OU or OSU QB than read about Schilling's rehab or Tyson Gay's muscle strain. And some of us Sooners wonder why Poke fans love to hate us. Boomer Sooner!
Yes Brandon I am a born and bred, die hard O State fan AND alum. But am I jealous of OU or their football program? Heck no! All I'm really trying to say here is Jason White is doing nothing right now to spur a news story of any kind. There are two other stories posted today about ex OU athletes, Brain Bosworth and Kevin Bookout, and I have no qualms about those stories. Those two men are doing things that are news worthy.
Response to Krista(Scott is just trying to get in her pants), so you are saying in order to be worthy of praise and accolades you have to make it in the pros? Who cares what hes donig now, the story isnt about what Jason White is doing now, and that should not even factor in to anything.
There will always be those that submit moronic posts such as tu, Krista, etc. I'm not certain what their actual point is...Perhaps it is meant to denegrate Jason White's accomplishments? Perhaps it's to doubt that anyone can recover from two acl's and be humble enough to not boast about it? I'm certain these negative people have heard of the truly great things Jason White has done for his extended community...If that is what they are trying to express, well, then, I guess that answers the question "What have you done lately"? Although Jason White hasn't become a professional legend after college,it does not detract from the glory of his past and the wonderful work he continues to perform. Quote to ponder: : "We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give" Godspeed, Mr. White!
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Former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Chuck Long was instrumental in the remaking of Jason White after the quarterback suffered severe knee injuries. OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE
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Hey does anyone know when the team starts to practice in August? Thanks