Auburn Tigers’ quarterback Sean White is one tough football player.
White took a big hit from Oklahoma’s defense on the opening drive in Monday’s Sugar Bowl, but remained in the game until there were four minutes left in the first half. He then headed to the locker room, leaving with four completions on 10 attempts for 35 yards, and several passes that looked rather unsteady. Ryan Black of 247 Sports’ Auburn Undercover site reports that White’s father Sean said his son broke his right forearm on that first drive:
White’s father, Don White, told Auburn Undercover his son broke his right forearm on the opening drive of Monday’s game against Oklahoma. That drive ended with a touchdown, as White pitched it to H-back Chandler Cox on fourth-and-1 from the 3-yard line.
White continued to play before heading to the locker room with approximately four minutes to play before the half. White threw multiple wobbly passes on the Tigers’ previous drive before he departed.
That’s remarkable that White was able to stay in the game and lead a touchdown drive after an injury like this. Here’s a sideline report from ESPN’s Kaylee Hartung, which confirmed that White will be out for the rest of the game (with only “a serious injury,” though), and also provided a replay look back at the hit he took:
This isn’t the first time that White has toughed it out through pain this year. He hurt his right shoulder against Ole Miss on Oct. 29 and reaggravated it against Georgia Nov. 12, but didn’t tell the coaching staff until later. He only completed six of 20 passes for 27 yards with an interception in that game, though, which Auburn lost 13-7. Given that and his showing Monday night, there’s no question of White’s toughness and desire to keep playing, but you have to wonder if Gus Malzahn and the rest of the Auburn coaching staff should perhaps be quicker at evaluating and pulling hurt players. We’ll see how they do with backup John Franklin III in.