Unselfishness guides Wisconsin's underrated star

IOWA CITY - Wisconsin's power running game boasts a new star seemingly every year, yet senior James White never gets mentioned first.

The Badgers' crowded backfield featured John Clay with a splash of White in 2010. The last two years, White alternated with NCAA all-time touchdown leader Montee Ball. Sophomore Melvin Gordon, the Big Ten's leading rusher, grabs the headlines.

But make no mistake: White is the heartbeat of Wisconsin's offense.

"Ask (running backs coach Thomas) Hammock, ask the offensive coaches, ask myself, ask Melvin Gordon who the starting running back is, and they are going to tell you it's James," Wisconsin Coach Gary Andersen said. "He deserves that. He's earned that opportunity. He's earned that right. The numbers speak for themselves with the way he's carried himself through the years in this program. It's given him the opportunity for him to be labeled as the starter for us."

White, a 5-foot-10, 195-pound senior, leads active Division I players with 3,243 rushing yards, 39 rushing touchdowns and 41 total scores. His yard-per-carry average of 6.12 leads the nation for players with at least 400 carries. That also tops Wisconsin's all-time mark, ahead of Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne (5.84).

"James White is kind of the forgotten guy in some ways," Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said. "He played with a really good running back the last couple years. I don't know if there's been a better back in our conference in quite awhile than Ball. Gordon has great numbers, and rightfully so. But James White has been an outstanding player."

White always had to share the spotlight, including in high school. He played alongside Giovani Bernard (and with Iowa quarterback Jake Rudock) at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Bernard, who starred at North Carolina, now is the Cincinnati Bengals' second-leading runner. Then he was behind Clay, Ball and now shares time with Gordon, the Big Ten's leading rusher.

But White doesn't complain about his lack of snaps or carries. It's his attitude that impresses Andersen the most.

"He's an unbelievable team player," Andersen said. "Even in high school it was the same situation for him. He doesn't count his reps; he makes his reps count. He's tremendous at it. He knows his role, and he knows he's a vital member of this program."

"I'm very unselfish," White said. "I'll do whatever it takes to help my team, whether it's carry the ball, catch the ball, blocking, running down on special teams. It doesn't matter to me as long as we get the victory."

It's not as though opponents can label White as a strictly try-hard, team-first guy, however. He ranks third in Big Ten rushing yards this year with 672. White has one more carry (108) than the explosive Gordon, and he's rushed for nearly 100 yards and a touchdown in five games. Two weeks ago at Illinois, White ran for 98 yards and two scores, and he added three catches for 29 yards and a touchdown.

"I may fly under the radar sometimes, but it gives me extra motivation to give it all I have," White said. "I just go out there and do what I've got to do, no matter what anyone else says."

Perhaps most impressive, White has lost only two fumbles in his Wisconsin career. He has 273 total touches since his last fumble against Penn State on Nov. 26, 2011. Gordon, who has 200 career touches, never has lost a fumble.

"(Hammock) says that ball security is job security," White said. "It's definitely important to keep that in mind when we run the ball."

"They don't walk off that field at any point and have a ball in their hands, whether it's stretch or throughout practice without being conscious of high and tight, squeeze it," Andersen said. "It's all over our meeting rooms. But they do a great job with that and hopefully that continues. Now that we're talking about it, I really hope it continues."