11 days until kickoff, and Danny White starred in Arizona State's golden era

Football is so close, you can almost taste it.

Yesterday's turn in our countdown series went to Darryl Harris, a key component of the 1986 Sun Devil team that won the only Rose Bowl in program history. Today we turn to a player whose legacy echoes throughout Arizona, Danny White.

Born Wilford Daniel White, it was not always clear that Danny would follow in the footsteps of his father, Whizzer. In fact, Danny was perceived as a better baseball prospect when he graduated from Westwood High School in Mesa.

After some convincing by head coach Frank Kush, Danny accepted a scholarship for both baseball and football, with a provision that he would play punter for the football team. The provision was twofold, as it allowed White the time to develop his skills at quarterback, eventually taking over the starting job during his sophomore season in 1971.

His true arrival came on October 23, 1971 in a game at University Stadium in Albuquerque that saw Danny torch the Lobos for 6 touchdowns through the air, setting a record that stood until Mike Pagel broke it with 7 touchdown passes against Stanford in 1981.

In a season that saw six different Sun Devils make pass attempts, Danny stood above the rest, finishing the season with 1,643 passing yards and 17 touchdowns, leading the Devils to a, 11-1 record and a 45-38 victory over Florida State in the inaugural Fiesta Bowl.

With the starting job secured, Danny set his sights higher, surpassing the 2,000 yard mark for the first time in his career. His 2,196 passing yards and 23 touchdowns led the WAC as the Devils powered to a 10-2 record and second straight Fiesta Bowl win, this time defeating the Missouri Tigers 49-35. In recognition of his outstanding season, Danny earned Honorable Mention All-WAC honors at the end of the year.

Danny's senior season in 1973 was a year in which he re-wrote the Arizona State record books for quarterbacks. His 2,878 passing yards stood for nearly 30 years until Andrew Walter surpassed him in 2002, while his 24 passing touchdowns was broken by Mike Pagel in 1981.

The Devils were once again nearly perfect, their only loss in the 11-1 season coming on the road at the hands of the Utah Utes. The Fiesta Bowl should have been renamed the Sun Devil Invitational, as the Devils won their third straight Fiesta Bowl, this time a 28-7 dismantling of Pittsburgh.

Not only did Danny develop into a stellar quarterback, he was an exceptional punter all three seasons in Tempe. He averaged over 40 yards per punt each season, setting a career high of 43.4 yards per kick in 1973. His performance on offense and special teams saw him named First Team All-WAC both as a quarterback and punter in 1973, as well as First Team All-American at QB and the WAC Offensive Player of the Year. He ended the season 9th in voting for the Heisman Award.

The Dallas Cowboys selected Danny in the 3rd round (53rd overall) in the 1974 NFL Draft, however with future Hall of Famer Roger Staubach firmly entrenched as the starter, the Cowboys were interested in Danny more for his punting ability.

Not content to settle, Danny signed with the Memphis Southmen of the World Football League to get more consistent time at quarterback. In two seasons, Danny threw for 2,635 yards and 21 touchdowns in 30 games, helping the Southmen reach the league semifinals in 1974 and a second place finish in 1975 when the league shut down 12 weeks into the season.

Joining the Cowboys in 1976, Danny saw most of his time at punter in his first four seasons, helping the Cowboys to a win in Super Bowl XII over the Denver Broncos. After Staubach retired, the quarterback job was Danny's for good, as he would accumulate 21,959 career passing yards and 155 touchdown passes in 166 career games (92 starts), finishing with a career record of 62-30.

The best season of his NFL career came in the strike-shortened 1982 season when he threw for 2,079 yards and 16 touchdowns, a season that saw him make his only Pro Bowl appearance, as well as finish 5th in the MVP voting and be named Second-Team All-Pro.

Though he retired after the 1988 season, Danny wasn't done with football. He was tabbed as the first head coach for the expansion Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League in 1992 and had immediate success, winning Arena Bowls VIII and XI in his first five seasons, later appearing in three straight Arena Bowls in the early 2000's. In 16 seasons between the Rattlers and Utah Blaze, Danny finished with a career record of 160-95 (20-13 playoff record), and was inducted into the 2002 Class of the Arena Football League Hall of Fame.

Danny's post-career accolades are extensive. He is one of five Sun Devils to have their number retired, and was a charter member of the Sun Devil Hall of Fame in 1975. He was inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in the Class of 1990, and in 1997 became the first native Arizonan to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. At the turn of the millennium, the Arizona Republic named Danny as the "Arizona Athlete of the Century".

Danny remains extremely involved with his alma mater, serving as an offensive consultant for the Devils since 2017.

When picturing the Mount Rushmore of Sun Devil football players, Danny White is a sure inclusion on everyone's list. While his passing records have since been broken, his 32-4 career record is a mark that may never be touched. A hall of famer in every sense of the term, we honor Danny with 11 days until football.