Russell White, 5 Others Expected to Choose Cal

Russell White of Encino’s Crespi High School, the state’s all-time leading rusher, announced Tuesday afternoon that he will attend California this fall.

White is one of six Southern California athletes who are expected to sign national letters of intent with California today, the first official day of the football signing period for high school seniors.

The 5-foot-11 White will be joined by two All-City players, quarterback Perry Klein of Carson and offensive lineman Andy Gonzales of Wilmington Banning. Other local players expected to sign with the Bears are defensive back Darryl Brown of Playa del Rey St. Bernard, defensive lineman Todd Steussie of Agoura and offensive lineman Chris Lippincott of Huntington Beach Edison.

White said a major factor in his decision was that he did not want spend his college career trying to distinguish himself from his uncle Charles White, who won the Heisman Trophy at USC in 1979.

“I just want to go to a place where I can be myself,” said White. “I feel like there will be a lot of love for me up there and I’ll be more appreciated. I want to be the man up there.”

White has yet to score 700 or better on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, a requirement under the National Collegiate Athletic Assn.’s Proposition 48. He took the test for a second time Jan. 27 but has not yet received the results. He can take it at least three more times.

White said USC offered him a scholarship on the condition that he achieved the Prop. 48 standards. If he had failed to meet that requirement, USC would have encouraged him to attend a junior college next fall, he said.

But he said: “Prop. 48 wasn’t a factor in my decision. I’m not concerned about the SAT. I feel like I passed it on the last test.”

Although USC missed out on White, it is expected to make a good showing with its recruit signings. The Trojans received oral commitments from several of the top seniors in the area, including Hawthorne quarterback Curtis Conway, Carson safety Howard McCowan and Pasadena offensive lineman Terry McDaniels.

USC also has received out-of-state oral commitments from blue-chippers Rory Brown, a fullback from Pueblo, Colo.; quarterback Reggie Perry of Denison, Tex., and tight end Brad Banta of Baton Rouge, La.

Across town, UCLA may pull in one of the best recruiting classes in the nation, led by three Texans: quarterbacks Tommy Maddox of Bedford and Bert Emanuel of Houston and defensive back Patrick Bates of Galveston.

The Bruins also fared well locally with tight end Brian Allen of Newhall Hart, wide receiver Michael Moore of Beverly Hills and linebacker Garrett Greedy of Anaheim Servite.

Prep Notes

Other top local players who have made oral commitments include: running back Derek Brown of Servite to Nebraska; offensive lineman Bob Whitfield of Banning and kicker Paul Stonehouse of Los Angeles Loyola to Stanford; running back/linebacker Tommie Smith of Antelope Valley and offensive lineman Jim Neville of Palmdale to Washington.