White returned to football and played for the Detroit Lions or two years, where in 1940 he again won the Rushing Title. Like many others, he enlisted in the military when the U.S. joined World War II he served in the Navy as an officer in Military Intelligence. While he was more than good enough to play football again after the war, he went into law and politics and would become the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. A great humanitarian, the Whizzer White Award is given annually to the NFL player for his charity work.
Despite only playing two seasons in the 1940s, he was chosen for the All-Decade Team, but a spot in Canton is hard for anyone to achieve when they only played three years in total.
136. Byron "Whizzer" White
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This one might be a little tough to justify, but this is not exactly uncommon for players before World War II.
Byron “Whizzer” White was a hot commodity after being a consensus All-American at Colorado, and he was drafted 4th Overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1938. As a rookie, he would lead the NFL in Rushing, but the National Football League was not the only organization that sought his talents. He would only play there for one year as he deferred his pro career to attend Oxford, but the Rhodes Scholar stayed only one year there as he returned to the United States after the outbreak of World War II.
The Bullet Points
- Country of Origin: Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S.A.
- Eligible Since: Tuesday, 01 January 1963
- Position: Half Back, Tail Back
- Games Played: 33
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Notable Statistics: 387 Rushing Attempts
1,321 Rushing Yards
11 Rushing Touchdowns
16 Receptions
301 Receiving Yards
1 Receiving Touchdown
86 Pass Completions
215 Pass Attempts
40.0 Pass Completion Perecentage
1,192 Passing Yards
4 Touchdown Passes
35 Interceptions
25.1 Passer Rating
0 Field Goals Made
1 Field Goal Attampt
2 Extra Points Made
4 Extra Point Attempts
100 Punts
4,129 Punting Yards - Played For: Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers
- College: Colorado
- Drafted: 1st Round, 4th Overall in 1938
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Major Accolades and Awards:
NFL Championships (None)
First Team All-Pro (1938 & 1940)
Second Team All-Pro (1941)
Most Rushing Attempts (2) (1938 & 1940)
Most Rushing Yards (2) (1938 & 1940)
Most Rushing Yards per Game (1) (1938)
Most Yards from Scrimmage (1) (1938)
Most All-Purpose Yards (1) (1938)
Most Punt Returns (1) (1941)
Most Punt Return Yards (1) (1941)
Most Returns (1) (1941)
Most Return Yards (1) (1941) -
Other Points of Note:
Top Ten Finishes: Completions (1) (1940)
Top Ten Finishes: Passing Touchdowns (1) (1941)
Top Ten Finishes: Rushing Attempts (3) (1938, 1940 & 1941)
Top Ten Finishes: Rushing Yards (2) (1938 & 1940)
Top Ten Finishes: Rushing Touchdowns (2) (1938 & 1940)
Top Ten Finishes: Rushing Yards per Attempt (1) (1938)
Top Ten Finishes: Rushing Yards per Game (2) (1938 & 1940)
Top Ten Finishes: Touchdowns (3) (1938, 1940 & 1941)
Top Ten Finishes: Yards From Scrimmage (2) (1938 & 1940)
Top Ten Finishes: All-Purpose Yards (3) (1938, 1940 & 1941)
Top Ten Finishes: Kick Returns (1) (1941)
Top Ten Finishes: Kick Return Yards (1) (1941)
Top Ten Finishes: Punt Returns (1) (1941)
Top Ten Finishes: Punt Return Yards (1) (1941)
Top Ten Finishes: Returns (1) (1941)
Top Ten Finishes: Return Yards (1) (1941)
Top Ten Finishes: Punts (2) (1940 & 1941)
Top Ten Finishes: Punting Yards (2) (1940 & 1941)
Top Ten Finishes: Yards per Punt (2) (1940 & 1941)
Top Ten Finishes: Interceptions (1) (1940)
Top Ten Finishes: Interception Return Yards (1) (1941) - Notable All Time Rankings: None.
Should Byron "Whizzer" White be in the Hall of Fame?
Definitely put him in! - 63.6%
Maybe, but others deserve it first. - 9.1%
Probably not, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. - 27.3%
No opinion. - 0%
No way! - 0%
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