MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The West Virginia University Department of Athletics has announced that the No. 5 jersey number of Pat White will soon be retired. The ceremony will be held at a home football game this season.
West Virginia was 35-8 (.814) with White as the starting quarterback. He led the Mountaineers to wins in the 2006 Sugar, 2007 Gator, 2008 Fiesta and 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowls. White set Big East records in touchdowns responsible for (103), total offense (10,529) and became the first player in Big East history to pass for more than 10,000 yards. He posted a 7-2 (.777) record against Top 25 opponents during his career.
“Pat White was a generational player for West Virginia football and led our program through perhaps the greatest era in our history,” WVU Director of Athletics Wren Baker said. “Everywhere I go, I hear stories about the way Pat elevated our program and his teammates to greatness.
“There is no question Pat deserves this ultimate honor. His legacy and success have been documented and appreciated by his teammates, national media and college football fans all over the world,” Baker added. “It has also been a privilege to watch him continue to pour himself into our program while serving on our coaching staff. Pat White is a special person and one of the greatest Mountaineers of all time.”
White’s No. 5 will become the seventh number retired in football and will join prestigious company in Major Harris (9), Ira Rodgers (21), Chuck Howley (66), Sam Huff (75), Bruce Bosley (77) and Darryl Talley (90).
Baker worked with WVU’s Athletic Council to examine, review and revise the department’s number retirement criteria. By unanimous support of the Athletic Council, the criteria remains strict but also includes modern provisions to obtain the ultimate honor.