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Just Tell Me Where To Play

Stan White Jr. fills a variety of roles for the Buckeyes


Sept. 16, 2006 By Pat Kindig


Take a minute and revert to last season. This may be difficult to comprehend, but envision Ohio State running back Antonio Pittman being stuffed at the Michigan 2-yard line with less than 30 seconds to play and the Wolverines defeating the Buckeyes, 21-19, ending Ohio State's Big Ten title hopes.

In the ensuing Fiesta Bowl, imagine if Pittman's 60-yard touchdown jaunt that sealed the victory over Notre Dame never happened and Irish All-American quarterback Brady Quinn got the ball back with the Buckeyes clinging to a 27-20 lead in the last two minutes.

In the back-and-forth first half at Minnesota, picture Buckeye kick returner Ted Ginn Jr. unable to burst through the Golden Gophers special teams unit for a 100-yard touchdown.
On all three of those plays, Ohio State senior fullback Stan White Jr. cleared the path to the endzone. Without White's lead blocks, those outcomes may never have happened and the Buckeyes' decorated season might have taken a turn in the opposite direction. White's contribution to those key situations last year, as well as countless others, typically goes unnoticed.

As a fullback in the Buckeyes offense, White, who has touched the football three times in his career, receives little statistical reward. Dick Tressel, Ohio State running backs coach, explained, however, fullback at Ohio State may be a position with no stats, but the role plays a lead in a large number of the offense's productive plays.


"You look at two of the bigger plays we had last season and they show how effective a player Stan is," Tressel said. "He made those blocks from different positions. He led Pittman around the end against Notre Dame last year from the backfield. In the touchdown at the end of the Michigan game,
he led Pittman off-tackle from the line of scrimmage."

Tressel also said there is much more to White's duties than lead blocking. White is not just a personal battering ram for Pittman, Buckeye quarterback Troy Smith and their backfield mates Chris Wells and Maurice Wells.
"Stan's diversity can paint an incorrect picture for opposing defenses," Tressel said. "Defenses may assume what we are going to do when he is in the game, but since Stan can do so much we have many options. He is not just a blocker. He also is a good receiver. Fullback is a perfect example of having to be a complete player. You have to be able to succeed in a variety of roles and have the mental capacity to anticipate where you're needed each play."

Now playing his third position at Ohio State, White knows what it means to be a versatile player. He was recruited as a linebacker, then moved to tight end before he settled into his fullback role. White's ability to play multiple spots provides a huge advantage to an offense that may ask the fullback to line up in various positions, depending on offensive sets. Within those sets, White may be called upon to run block, pass protect or run a pass route.

"The fullback can create mismatches for the defense," White said. "From lining up in the I-formation, as a wing, a slot or even move up and play tight end. That versatility can control an opposing defense and how it positions its linebackers and defensive backs. In turn, that makes it easier for the playmakers to make big plays."

White's father, Stan White Sr., who was a linebacker at Ohio State and later played for the NFL's Baltimore Colts, agreed his son's ability to perform varied tasks on the field is a valued attribute.

"He called me the day he switched and I told him if it is good for the team it is good for the individual," White Sr. said. "And it has been good for him. He learned so much at all those positions. At different times, the team may need you in different ways. Having experience at several spots allows Stan to adapt quickly."

Ironically, White Sr. was recruited as a tight end to Ohio State, but finished his career as an All-American linebacker. He thinks his son has found his niche at fullback.

"Fullback is a great role for Stan," White Sr. said. "I do radio broadcasts for the Baltimore Ravens and we had a production meeting recently with Ravens head coach Brian Billick. We talked for quite sometime about the role of the fullback/tight end positions and how they can affect defensive personnel. Having the ability to run, block and catch, as well as play several positions, is something professional coaches are looking for."

Although lead-blocking mainly can be termed as a physical job detail for a fullback, White Jr., a fifth-year senior and 2006 Rhodes Scholar nominee, credited mental strength as the main component to opening running lanes for the Buckeye ground attack.

"The difference between a 5-yard gain and a 50-yard game-breaker can hinge on six or eight inches of the fullback's block," White Jr. said. "It can be that meticulous. For that reason, you have to be able to think on your feet and know where you need to get to make that play as successful as possible."

White's capacity for the cerebral aspect of the game, combined with his experience at several positions also has helped him ease into the role of senior leader for the Buckeyes this season, assuming a responsibility of player-coach with the younger Buckeyes.

"Stan knows our offense from back-to-front," Pittman, who rushed for 1,331 yards last season, said. "If someone has a problem knowing where to line up or what to do, Stan is the one who helps them. He has changed positions several times, from linebacker to tight end to fullback and back to tight end and to fullback. It is like having a coach out there with you on the field."
White said it seems like yesterday he was one of those younger guys coming into camp, seeking direction from the older players. He now carries that duty on his shoulders.

"It has been quite an adjustment over the years I have been here," White Jr. said. "I can't just go out and do my job and leave it at that. I have to help the younger guys, like Dionte Johnson and Aram Olson learn. I have been helping them learn the ins-and-outs of the offensive line a lot."
Tressel views White as the perfect role model for younger players.

"Young guys see Stan and how being multi-faceted is a huge piece to the puzzle," Tressel said. "He no doubt understands the game. He actually coaches the coaches. He brings us information about different defensive approaches and we use that for our strategy."

White thinks his current position translates well into coaching and the opportunity might be worth exploring in the future.

"A lot like quarterbacks and linebackers, fullbacks have to know the offensive line's blocking assignment, where the tailback is going and what the receivers are doing on every play. You can't just go out and do your assignment and be done with it. We have to understand the big picture of every play. Knowing that helps get an instinctive feel for an offense, which
for some, ultimately leads to coaching.

"I love the game of football, especially all the strategy involved. Coaching is something I would consider doing. I am not sure at what level, but that is something that might be worth exploring."

White's father hinted at the possibility of his son returning to Baltimore and coaching in a family affair at the high school level.

"Anytime you have a guy whose biggest strength is his mental approach to the game that is a gateway to coaching," White Sr. said. "Stan has some athletic gifts for sure, but he has learned the academic side of the game. I still coach a high school team and Stan has talked about coming back and coaching at that level. Who knows, he may decide to pursue coaching at a higher level."

When examining the profession at its highest ranks, many NFL head coaches and coordinator positions are filled by former multitalented fullbacks like White Jr., who spent time in their careers playing at fullback or what is termed H-back, a hybrid between a tight end and fullback. The H-back can line up in the backfield, on the line or can be put in motion prior to the snap. On one play, he may be asked to serve as lead blocker and the next he may sprint 15 yards downfield on a pass route.

Ken Whisenhunt, offensive coordinator for the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, was an H-back during his playing days at Georgia Tech. The offensive coordinators for the Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers were fullbacks as well. Maurice Carthon, who owns Super Bowl XXI and XXV rings as a fullback with the New York Giants, is in his fifth season as an offensive coordinator in the NFL and is calling plays for the Browns this season.

Before White considers jumping into the actual coaching ranks, he has a season left at Ohio State, where he not only serves as a coach to the younger players on the field, but also has become an academic mentor.

"Stan sets the bar high academically," Pittman said. "His schoolwork ethic is one of the best on the team. He is in grad school right now getting his masters. He inspires the younger guys on the team and they try to accomplish what he is doing right now. You could not ask for a better
example than Stan."

To White, balance is the key.

"The younger guys have to realize there needs to be a balance," White, who carries a 3.8 grade-point average as a double major in business-finance, said. "They have to take the time to keep focused on their studies, especially during the season. They have to find time to study, but also rest as well. That is just as important to having a good balance."

Much of White's success in the classroom can be attributed to his father.
"I definitely pushed my kids more in academics than I did athletics," White Sr., said. "It all goes back to what Woody Hayes used to say. Your next play could be your last, but they can never take away your education. When I was playing in the NFL, Coach Woody Hayes was the one that convinced me to go to law school. I'm a firm believer in what he taught and I expressed the same thing to my three children."

Between his academic accomplishments and his success with the Buckeyes, White Jr. has served as the ultimate example of a team player. Having switched positions multiple times into his present all-guts, no-glory role and helped direct more inexperienced players not only on the field but in life, White Jr. has done whatever has been asked of him to help the Buckeyes win.
"I am a guy that will play wherever I am most useful to the team," he said. "It is difficult to switch positions. You find yourself at the bottom of the totem poll, so to speak, after you do. It has taught me a lot in life. It's taught me to persevere and keep working hard. If you do that, things will work out."