Former Ohio State All-American fullback Loren Robert (Bob) White passed away on May 7 in Venice, Florida, according to The Columbus Dispatch. He was 86 years old.
White, a Portsmouth, Ohio, native and product of Covington (Ky.) Holmes, played for the Buckeyes from 1957-59, rushing for 1,816 yards and 13 touchdowns over 26 career games.
White’s best seasons occurred as an upperclassman. He helped the Buckeyes take home a national championship in 1957 by rushing for a combined 413 yards across their final three games of that season, including a 93-yard, 25-carry outing in their 10-7 Rose Bowl win over Oregon which earned them a national title.
White had an even better season as a senior in 1958, totaling 859 yards and 12 touchdowns on 218 attempts to earn a first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten nod. He also finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting that season.
White’s efforts on the gridiron helped him earn an induction into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987. But he was also equally successful in the classroom with the Buckeyes, being named Academic All-Big Ten in each of his three active seasons and Academic All-American in 1958.
Following his Ohio State career, White was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the eighth round of the 1960 NFL draft. He never saw the field for his home-state franchise and played just six career NFL games with the Houston Oilers in 1960 before embarking on a career in high school coaching.
According to The Dispatch, White is survived by his wife, Glenda.
