Cal’s White Happy to Return to Southland

The Rams, reversing a recent tendency to concentrate on defensive needs in the draft, chose a second running back in the third round Sunday, selecting Cal’s Russell White.

White, who set a state record with 5,998 yards rushing at Encino Crespi High, rushed for 3,367 yards and 35 touchdowns in three seasons at Cal. He gained 1,069 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per carry last season.

“He has excellent vision and ability,” Coach Chuck Knox said.

White, the nephew of former USC Heisman Trophy winner Charles White, said he has never been a Rams fan--even when his uncle played with the team--but he was overjoyed to hear from them Sunday.

“I’m looking forward to coming down south again,” White said. “Mainly, it’s just a relief to get picked. The phone hasn’t been ringing off the hook. Nobody really had shown a whole lot of interest.”

White was suffering from a hamstring injury during the NFL combine workouts and felt his inability to run full speed in front of the NFL coaches hurt his standing in the draft.

“I think the question of speed had a lot to do with it,” he said. “In every other category, I feel I was rated above average, but I think a lot of teams wanted to see me run.”

The Rams traded their third round pick (65th overall) for Indianapolis’ selection in the third (73) and the Colts’ fifth-round pick (127), gambling that White would still be around eight picks later.

“I just wanted my shot to play in the league, so I’m happy,” he said.

White, who stayed in school after the 1991 season, realizes his stock may have dropped last season, but he still thinks he made the right choice.

“My decision to stay in school was the most positive thing for me,” he said. “I probably would’ve went higher in the draft and got paid more, but I wanted to get my degree. That meant more to me.”