Where Are They Now?: Jason White

What happened?

In 2003, Jason White was the Heisman Trophy winner, beating out Pitt WR Larry Fitzgerald and Ole Miss QB Eli Manning. He threw for 3,846 yards, 40 TDs and only 10 INTs. White was also named to the All-Big 12 Team, as well as being the AP Player of the Year and a consensus All-American. He lost the Sugar Bowl to LSU 21-14.

In 2004 White tried to become the second player ever to win consecutive Heisman Trophies. He threw for 3,205 yards, 35 TDs, and 9 INTs. He finished third in the voting, behind USC QB Matt Leinart and Oklahoma teammate Adrian Peterson. The man kept good company. Oklahoma lost the Orange Bowl to USC 55-19. White finished his career as Oklahoma's all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns. So, why isn't he an NFL superstar like Fitzgerald or Peterson?

When the 2005 NFL Draft rolled around, Jason White went undrafted. (Wait, what?) Yeah, you read that right. He also did no receive any offers for post-draft workouts from any teams. Eventually he got an offer to try out from the Kansas City Chiefs, but they chose to not sign him. Finally he got an offer from the Tennessee Titans to join their practice squad. White decided to retire from football near the end of the 2005 season. He said it was due to weakness in his knees. (He tore one ACL his freshman year, and the other in his sophomore year.)

Jason White lives in Oklahoma, and is now the current owner and operator of the Jason White Companies. He controls a "The Athlete's Foot" franchise and "A Store Divided", which sells Oklahoma and Oklahoma State merchandise. He has not ruled out making a return to football as a coach.

Countdown Friday will be back next week with the Top 10 Worst Coaching Decisions of the 2000s.