COLLEGE FOOTBALL / BOWL REPORT : CITRUS : Degree First, Then NFL for Cal’s White

Russell White, California’s leading running back, put to rest the rumor that he might declare himself available for the NFL draft after his Citrus Bowl appearance against Clemson.

“I just feel that my degree means a lot more than money at this time,” White, a junior, said Thursday. “It’s just something I wouldn’t change, no matter how much money they offer.” Part of White’s desire for a degree stems from his learning he had dyslexia, which went undiagnosed until he enrolled at Cal.

“I used to literally walk into a classroom thinking I was stupid,” White said. “It’s like I see the same sentences you do, but why can’t I read them? No one ever answered my question until I got to college.

“It was like a load off my back because I thought I was kind of stupid. Now I’m intelligent,” he said with a chuckle.

White also said his press clippings claiming a 3.0 grade-point average are not quite on the money. “Actually it was only a 2.597,” White said.

The injury report for Cal: receiver Sean Dawkins has a tender shoulder, safety David Wilson has not been able to practice because of a thigh bruise and center Steve Gordon was pulled out of practice because of a tender knee.

“But I think if we were to play today, all those guys would play,” Coach Bruce Snyder said.