White Joins Cal at Practice After Gaining His Eligibility

Trying to create an impact such as he could not make last year, running back Russell White donned a Cal practice jersey for the first time Friday. The Crespi High record-setter was ineligible to play football for the Golden Bears last season under terms of Proposition 48.

“Everyone else wants to know, ‘Who is Russell White and what can he do on the college level?’ ” said White, who on Friday morning completed an English requirement, his last obstacle to eligibility. “But I want to know myself.”

White, who chose Cal over USC, established a state high school rushing record of 5,998 yards at Crespi, including 2,339 yards and 31 touchdowns his sophomore year.

On letter-of-intent signing day, White claimed that he could win the Heisman Trophy his freshman year and eventually lead Cal to a Rose Bowl. But after failing four times to score the minimum requirement of 700 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, he became a Prop. 48 casualty and was unable to participate in practices or games until Friday.

“I was lost when I said that,” White said of his signing-day boast. “I wish I could take it back, but I can’t turn back the clock.”

Now a sophomore after losing a year of eligibility, White comes into Cal’s training camp third on the depth chart behind senior Anthony Wallace and redshirt freshman Lindsey Chapman. Wallace ran for 560 yards last season.

White said that being a Prop. 48 casualty was the best thing that could have happened to him.

“When I was coming here, I was going to finish (earn a degree), because that’s the way I’ve been brought up,” White said. “Don’t start something you can’t finish. If you don’t have a degree from a university, you can’t do much in life. I want to eat sirloin.”

The Bears, 4-7 a year ago, open their season at Wisconsin on Sept. 8.