Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/752868
By watching and listening to the older players, White developed a leadership style that fit his personality. The style was similar to Conlan's. They didn't raise their voices in anger, curse or vo- ciferously challenge other players. White was more outgoing than the often-reticent Conlan, but both had the highest respect of their teammates and coaches. Sure, they occasionally hollered in the moments of combat, but it was never nasty and rarely directed to- ward an opponent. What they did in clutch situations on the field was en- demic to their leadership. They were both tough and nearly indestructible, sometimes in pain in the aftermath of an irksome injury but still going all out. After a year of quietly absorbing what it takes to succeed on and off the field, White started his redshirt freshman sea- son as a backup defensive end behind John Walter. Yes, I looked him up and I never heard of Walter, then a junior, who switched back to tight end the next year. The words of their position coach, Jim Williams, in the 1983 media guide were prescient: "Bob White has as much po- tential as anybody we have… (He) has the potential to be our best past rusher. He has a very bright future…" Never left the starting lineup White saw plenty of action through Penn State's first six games, and when a knee injury in that sixth game sidelined Walter for the year, White stepped in. Except for a knee injury in 1985 that forced him to miss one game (against East Carolina) he never left the starting lineup the rest of his career. He had just one sack that 1983 season but he doesn't remember it. The sack – for a 4-yard loss against Washing- ton in the Aloha Bowl – was one of his 38 tackles in '83, but he was just getting started. At the end of spring practice in 1984, White won the Jim O'Hora Award given to the team's most im- proved defensive player "for exemplary conduct, loyalty, interest and attitude and improvement." White led the team in sacks in 1984 with seven, two more than Conlan. He topped that total in the 1986 champi- onship season with eight, including the one of Beuerlein at Notre Dame and two against Maryland the previous week at Beaver Stadium in what may have been his best game. CRASHING THE POCKET White chases down Ala- bama quarter- back Mike Shula during the Lions' 23- 3 victory over the Crimson Tide in 1986. BWI file photo