Danny White
Encyclopedia
Wilford Daniel "Danny" White (born February 9, 1952, in Mesa, Arizona
) is a former quarterback
and punter for the Dallas Cowboys
, an American football
coach
in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst
on broadcasts of college football
games. He was named the head coach
of the Arena Football League expansion Utah Blaze
, which began play in 2006
. Prior to that he served as the head coach of the Arizona Rattlers
from 1992
to 2004
, winning the ArenaBowl
championship in 1994
and 1997
. White's contract was not renewed by the new Rattlers ownership after the 2004 season following three consecutive ArenaBowl losses. In his first season coaching the Blaze, he led the team to a 7-9 record and a playoff berth where Utah fell to Arizona 57-34.
in Mesa, Arizona, White had a stellar career as a quarterback
and punter at Arizona State University
where he was an All-American
in 1973. In the 1974-75 pro season he played for the Memphis Southmen
in the World Football League
before being signed by the National Football League
's Dallas Cowboys
in 1975. Through 1979
he appeared primarily as a punter and backup to star quarterback Roger Staubach
. After Staubach's retirement following the end of that season, he became the Cowboys starting
quarterback, and for a few years did double-duty as the punter until sometime in 1984. White's most famous game as a pro possibly is the 1980 playoff game against Atlanta, in which he led the Cowboys to a come-from-behind 30-27 win over the Falcons in "Staubach, last-minute fashion." He also played in the 1981 NFC Championship Game loss against the San Francisco 49ers, most famous for the Joe Montana to Dwight Clark winning play known as "The Catch." White almost brought Dallas back to win the game, but his pass to Drew Pearson came a finger tackle away from winning the game in the final seconds.
White made the Pro Bowl
in 1982, and led the Cowboys to three consecutive NFC championship game
s (1980
-1982
), but was criticized after the Cowboys lost each of the three despite having been favored in all three games. White also received criticism for publicly siding with the owners during the 1982 NFL Players Strike. Fans and teammates alike began to show support for White to be replaced as Dallas quarterback by Gary Hogeboom
, who was coming off an impressive performance in the 1982 NFC title game. White's statistically career-best 1983 season wasn't even enough to quiet the critics. The Cowboys ended that season with consecutive blowout losses to the rival Washington Redskins
(at home) and the San Francisco 49ers
after a 12-2 start. To add insult to injury, the Cowboys lost the NFC Wildcard Playoff game to the Los Angeles Rams. That apparently was enough for White to lose his starting job to Hogeboom at the start of the 1984 season
. Under Hogeboom, the Cowboys started 4-1 to begin the 1984 season, but then a loss to division rival St. Louis
and ineffective play by Hogeboom convinced coach Tom Landry
to reinstate White as his starter. The Cowboys finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs in 1984, but with White as quarterback made it back in 1985. They lost to the Los Angeles Rams again in the playoffs, however.
In 1986
the Cowboys started 6-2, had the #1 offense in the NFL, and were tied for the lead in the NFC Eastern Division with White as their quarterback. During an away game against Bill Parcells
’s New York Giants
, however, a blind-side sack
by Giants linebacker
Carl Banks
broke White's throwing wrist, knocking him out of the game and ending his season. Dallas lost the game, 17-14, and without White the team faded badly, finishing the year 7-9. It became the Cowboys' first losing season since 1965.
White returned as the starter at the beginning of 1987, but after inconsistent play, he was benched in favor of Steve Pelluer
for 4 of the final 6 games. In 1988 Pelluer won the starting job in training camp, relegating White to a backup. White appeared briefly in only two games, and in his second game he suffered a season-ending knee injury. An option on his contract was not picked up in April 1989 and he retired, paving the way for Troy Aikman
to take the reins of the struggling franchise.
White had 1,761 completions on 2,950 attempts for 21,959 yards, 155 touchdowns, and 132 interceptions in his career. He also gained 482 yards and scored 8 touchdowns rushing. Unusual for a quarterback, he has two pass receptions for touchdowns, both from a halfback option pass. On special teams he punted 610 times for 24,509 yards, an average of 40.4 yards per punt, with 144 punts inside the 20 and 77 touchbacks. His record as the Cowboys' starting quarterback was 62-32 (.659 winning percentage) during the regular season, and 5-5 in the playoffs.
, Andrew Walter
, Jake Plummer
, and Jeff van Raaphorst.
Inaugural member of Dunham and Miller Hall of Fame.
began shortly after his playing days ended. This is appropriate considering that, while an active player, he was widely regarded—like Staubach before him—as knowledgeable of the game and as something of a coach on the field.
"I don't think anybody could have followed Roger and done as well as Danny," Coach Tom Landry
remarked. "Danny was a solid winner."
artist for the Grand Prix label. His only single, "You're a Part of Me," a duet with Linda Nail, reached #85 on the Hot Country Songs
charts.
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
) is a former quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
and punter for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
on broadcasts of college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
games. He was named the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Arena Football League expansion Utah Blaze
Utah Blaze
The Utah Blaze is a professional arena football team based in Salt Lake City, Utah and competes in the West division of the Arena Football League. Home games are played at the EnergySolutions Arena.-The original Utah Blaze :...
, which began play in 2006
2006 Utah Blaze season
The 2006 Utah Blaze season is the first season for the franchise. They looked to make the playoffs. They finished 7-9 record and qualified for the playoffs, although they lost 57-34 against Arizona to lose their first franchise playoff game....
. Prior to that he served as the head coach of the Arizona Rattlers
Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
from 1992
1992 Arena Football League season
The 1992 Arena Football League season was the 6th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Detroit Drive, who defeated the Orlando Predators in ArenaBowl VI....
to 2004
2004 Arena Football League season
The 2004 Arena Football League season was the 18th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the San Jose SaberCats, who defeated the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVIII...
, winning the ArenaBowl
ArenaBowl
The ArenaBowl is the Arena Football League's championship game. From 1987 to 2004, the ArenaBowl was hosted by either the team with the better regular-season record or the higher seeding in the playoffs. From ArenaBowl XIX in 2005 until ArenaBowl XXII in 2008, the game was played at a neutral site...
championship in 1994
1994 Arena Football League season
The 1994 Arena Football League season was the 8th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Arizona Rattlers, who defeated the Orlando Predators in ArenaBowl VIII.-Team Movement:...
and 1997
1997 Arena Football League season
The 1997 Arena Football League season was the 11th season of the Arena Football League. The league champions were the Arizona Rattlers, who defeated the Iowa Barnstormers in ArenaBowl XI.-Standings:* Green indicates clinched playoff berth...
. White's contract was not renewed by the new Rattlers ownership after the 2004 season following three consecutive ArenaBowl losses. In his first season coaching the Blaze, he led the team to a 7-9 record and a playoff berth where Utah fell to Arizona 57-34.
Playing career
A graduate of Westwood High SchoolWestwood High School (Mesa, Arizona)
Westwood High School is a high school in Mesa, Arizona under the jurisdiction of Mesa Public Schools.-Notable alumni:Individuals * Siaha Burley - wide receiver in the Arena Football League* Larry Owens - NBA basketball player with the Washington Wizards...
in Mesa, Arizona, White had a stellar career as a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
and punter at Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
where he was an All-American
1973 College Football All-America Team
The 1973 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
in 1973. In the 1974-75 pro season he played for the Memphis Southmen
Memphis Southmen
The Memphis Southmen were a franchise in the World Football League which operated in 1974 and 1975. They played their home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, United States.-From North to South:...
in the World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
before being signed by the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in 1975. Through 1979
1979 NFL season
The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams...
he appeared primarily as a punter and backup to star quarterback Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
. After Staubach's retirement following the end of that season, he became the Cowboys starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
quarterback, and for a few years did double-duty as the punter until sometime in 1984. White's most famous game as a pro possibly is the 1980 playoff game against Atlanta, in which he led the Cowboys to a come-from-behind 30-27 win over the Falcons in "Staubach, last-minute fashion." He also played in the 1981 NFC Championship Game loss against the San Francisco 49ers, most famous for the Joe Montana to Dwight Clark winning play known as "The Catch." White almost brought Dallas back to win the game, but his pass to Drew Pearson came a finger tackle away from winning the game in the final seconds.
White made the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
in 1982, and led the Cowboys to three consecutive NFC championship game
NFC Championship Game
The National Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the...
s (1980
1980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
-1982
1982 Dallas Cowboys season
The Dallas Cowboys finished the strike-shortened 1982 NFL season with a record of 6 wins and 3 losses, placing them second in the NFC. After losing the season opening game against the Pittsburgh Steelers , the Cowboys won the next six, five after the strike...
), but was criticized after the Cowboys lost each of the three despite having been favored in all three games. White also received criticism for publicly siding with the owners during the 1982 NFL Players Strike. Fans and teammates alike began to show support for White to be replaced as Dallas quarterback by Gary Hogeboom
Gary Hogeboom
Gary Keith Hogeboom is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League and a contestant on the CBS reality TV show Survivor: Guatemala.-Career:...
, who was coming off an impressive performance in the 1982 NFC title game. White's statistically career-best 1983 season wasn't even enough to quiet the critics. The Cowboys ended that season with consecutive blowout losses to the rival Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
(at home) and the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
after a 12-2 start. To add insult to injury, the Cowboys lost the NFC Wildcard Playoff game to the Los Angeles Rams. That apparently was enough for White to lose his starting job to Hogeboom at the start of the 1984 season
1984 Dallas Cowboys season
The Cowboys finished the 1984 season with a record of nine wins and seven losses, and missed the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. A division record of 3–5 caused them to finish fourth in the NFC East, despite equaling the overall records of the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals...
. Under Hogeboom, the Cowboys started 4-1 to begin the 1984 season, but then a loss to division rival St. Louis
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and ineffective play by Hogeboom convinced coach Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
to reinstate White as his starter. The Cowboys finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs in 1984, but with White as quarterback made it back in 1985. They lost to the Los Angeles Rams again in the playoffs, however.
In 1986
1986 Dallas Cowboys season
The Dallas Cowboys concluded the 1986 season with a record of 7 wins and 9 losses, finishing without a winning record for the first time since 1965....
the Cowboys started 6-2, had the #1 offense in the NFL, and were tied for the lead in the NFC Eastern Division with White as their quarterback. During an away game against Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
’s New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, however, a blind-side sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
by Giants linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Carl Banks
Carl Banks
Carl E. Banks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League from 1984 to 1995 for the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Browns. He made the Pro Bowl in 1987, had 39.5 career quarterback sacks, and was a member of the NFL's 1980's All-Decade Team...
broke White's throwing wrist, knocking him out of the game and ending his season. Dallas lost the game, 17-14, and without White the team faded badly, finishing the year 7-9. It became the Cowboys' first losing season since 1965.
White returned as the starter at the beginning of 1987, but after inconsistent play, he was benched in favor of Steve Pelluer
Steve Pelluer
Steven Carl Pelluer is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 5th round of the 1984 NFL Draft. A 6'4", 209-lb...
for 4 of the final 6 games. In 1988 Pelluer won the starting job in training camp, relegating White to a backup. White appeared briefly in only two games, and in his second game he suffered a season-ending knee injury. An option on his contract was not picked up in April 1989 and he retired, paving the way for Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
to take the reins of the struggling franchise.
White had 1,761 completions on 2,950 attempts for 21,959 yards, 155 touchdowns, and 132 interceptions in his career. He also gained 482 yards and scored 8 touchdowns rushing. Unusual for a quarterback, he has two pass receptions for touchdowns, both from a halfback option pass. On special teams he punted 610 times for 24,509 yards, an average of 40.4 yards per punt, with 144 punts inside the 20 and 77 touchbacks. His record as the Cowboys' starting quarterback was 62-32 (.659 winning percentage) during the regular season, and 5-5 in the playoffs.
Regular season
| Year | | Team | | Passing | | Rushing | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Comp | Yds | TD | Int | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 1976 | DAL | 13 | 20 | 213 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 17 | 2.8 | 0 |
| 1977 | DAL | 4 | 10 | 35 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -2.0 | -2.0 | 0 |
| 1978 | DAL | 20 | 34 | 215 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 1.4 | 0 |
| 1979 | DAL | 19 | 39 | 267 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 0 |
| 1980 | DAL | 260 | 436 | 3287 | 28 | 25 | 27 | 114 | 4.2 | 1 |
| 1981 | DAL | 223 | 391 | 3098 | 22 | 13 | 38 | 104 | 2.7 | 0 |
| 1982 | DAL | 156 | 247 | 2079 | 16 | 12 | 417 | 91 | 5.4 | 0 |
| 1983 | DAL | 334 | 533 | 3980 | 29 | 23 | 18 | 31 | 1.7 | 4 |
| 1984 | DAL | 126 | 233 | 1580 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 21 | 3.5 | 0 |
| 1985 | DAL | 267 | 450 | 3157 | 21 | 17 | 22 | 44 | 2.0 | 1 |
| 1986 | DAL | 95 | 153 | 1157 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 16 | 2.0 | 1 |
| 1987 | DAL | 315 | 362 | 2617 | 12 | 17 | 10 | 14 | 1.4 | 1 |
| 1988 | DAL | 29 | 42 | 274 | 1 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Total | 1761 | 2950 | 21259 | 155 | 132 | 156 | 482 | 3.0 | 8 | |
Recent Honors
On October 29, 2010, White was honored, along with all Sun Devil Quarterbacks, at a Legends Luncheon hosted by the Arizona State University Alumni Association and Sun Devil Club. Other honorees included John F. GoodmanJohn F. Goodman
Lieutenant General John Floyd Goodman is a retired United States Marine Corps general. He is currently Director of the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance , United States Pacific Command having assumed the directorship on October 17, 2008.-Early life:John...
, Andrew Walter
Andrew Walter
Andrew Scott Walter is a former American football quarterback in National Football League. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft after playing college football at Arizona State....
, Jake Plummer
Jake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
, and Jeff van Raaphorst.
Inaugural member of Dunham and Miller Hall of Fame.
Coaching career
His career as a coachCoach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
began shortly after his playing days ended. This is appropriate considering that, while an active player, he was widely regarded—like Staubach before him—as knowledgeable of the game and as something of a coach on the field.
"I don't think anybody could have followed Roger and done as well as Danny," Coach Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
remarked. "Danny was a solid winner."
Musical career
In 1983 White briefly recorded as a country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist for the Grand Prix label. His only single, "You're a Part of Me," a duet with Linda Nail, reached #85 on the Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
charts.