USC football: 5 most underrated players in USC Trojans history
By Dante Pryor
The five most underrated USC football players ever.
USC football is not short on legendary players. Nicknamed “Running Back U,” OJ Simpson, Charles White, Marcus Allen, and Reggie Bush all ran “Student Body” at some point in their careers with the Trojans.
Not only have the Trojans had great running backs in their history, but they have been stacked at other positions as well. Keshawn Johnson and Curtis Conway were two of the greatest receivers in the history of the school. One of the greatest offensive tackles of all time, Anthony Munoz won a National Title at USC in 1978
Still, there are some players that go underrated in the annals of history. There are many reasons players go undervalued. Some did not play in an era where the team was at its peak. Others did not quite live up to expectations but still had solid careers.
The USC Trojans have produced several NFL superstars over the years, but these five former USC football players are the underrated stars who need more love.
5. Underrated USC football players: Lendale White
If Bush was the sizzle of those early 2000s Trojan teams, then running back Lendale White was the steak. He was the hammer and Bush was the nail. During those years, the Trojans packed quite the 1-2 punch in their backfield.
While Bush had all of the ESPN highlights, White just scored touchdowns. He led the Pac-12 in rushing touchdowns twice. White was a straight-ahead bulldozer of a runner. He was great in short-yardage situations and at the goal line.
On those teams, it was quite easy to get overshadowed. Bush was the king of the highlights. Matt Leinert was playing pitch and catch with freak receiver Mike Williams. Ironically, White led the team in rushing — not Bush — the first two years the duo was together.
It could be the flameout of his professional career. He lasted only four seasons in the NFL. He had issues with his weight and injuries crept into the picture as well. He formed a great 1-2 punch with Kris Johnson for the Tenessee Titans.
A lot of LenDale’s career is a question of what could have been. What if he’d been more disciplined in taking care of his body? What if he did not have so many concussions? What if he’d been the sole featured running back?
Watching him play at USC makes you wonder that very thing. He was so good and you knew he did not put everything into playing football. That is one reason his career at USC has gone underrated and largely forgotten.