1979 - 45th Award
Charles White
Southern California Back

Coach John Robinson stated, "Charlie is simply the most competitive athlete I've ever seen." Incredibly, as USC's all-purpose back, White averaged 30 to 40 carries a game. Against Notre Dame, he scored 4 touchdowns, carrying 44 times and rushing for for 261 yards. In his regular season career he rushed for 5,598 yards, and 6,245 yards including Bowl Games. In his lifetime, he averaged 5.4 yards per carry; caught 59 passes for 541 yards, scored 53 touchdowns - a PAC 10 record. He holds a total of 22 records in NCAA, PAC 10, and USC. In his senior year, led the nation with an average of 194.1 yards per game. In the last ten games of his senior year, White averaged 201 yards rushing per game. Charles graduated with a degree in Speech Communications. Upon graduation, White was drafted by the Cleveland Browns and later played for the LA Rams. He and his wife Judi have five children - Nicole, Julian, Ashton, Tara and Sophia.

Charles was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1996.

The Voting

Charles White's dominating victory prevented Billy Sims from becoming the second two-time Heisman winner. White won all six sections and registered more than 900 points over Sims.

No. of registered electors: 1,050
Date of announcement: December 3, 1979
Date of dinner: December 12, 1979

The positions within each region are as follows: