Three words best describe Pat White; pure athletic ability. It’s this reason White, West Virginia University’s start quarterback found himself with an invitation to the 2009 NFL combine. Few, if any teams expected to be seriously looking at White as a legitimate NFL quarterback. It was more his athletic ability, speed, hands, etc, that make him enticing to any offensive coordinator who want a specialty player to fit into some schemes. However, it was his passing skills that had everybody talking at the combine this year. Everyone there unquestioningly say White turned out the best work out and seriously raised some eyebrows and his draft status. It was enough to entice the Miami Dolphins to select him the 2nd round with the 44th overall pick.
Standing at just 6’ tall and weighing in at only 197lbs, White hardly possesses the prototypical frame for an NFL quarterback. What he lacks in size, he does make up for in speed, running the 40-yard-dash in 4.55 seconds. His on-field quickness and elusiveness make him seem even faster. His 4,480 yards on the ground leave him the Big East all-time leading rushing quarterback. He was the Mountaineers 2nd leading rusher for three straight years, totaling 974 yards in 2008. It may be this kind of ability and numbers that over shadowed his pure passing ability.
In 2008, White passed for just 1, 956 yards but had an impressive completion percentage of over 66%. He threw 22 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions and added another 8 touchdowns on the ground. He has never thrown for more than 2,000 yards in a season but he hasn’t needed to and his completion percentage has consistently remained around 66%, with a quarterback rating between the mid 140’s to 160. The guy can simply deliver the ball accurately and consistently.
It was just this accuracy and consistency, along with arm strength that was on display at the NFL combine this year. As stated earlier, White shined, turning out a better performance than higher draft pick Mark Sanchez (Matthew Stafford only participated in the running drills) and was said to deliver the ball exceptionally well on the deep outs. He stood in the pocket with poise, displaying a calm confident demeanor. He showed good mechanics, timing and ball placement, all the characteristics an NFL team looks for in a quarterback.
The one characteristic he doesn’t have though is the size. It’s going to be hard for him to translate into a pro quarterback with the punishment he will have to endure. He comes into Miami as direct competition for Chad Henne, the heir apparent to Chad Pennington. The Dolphins have made a strong commitment to enhancing their Wildcat-type package with White potentially taking over the lead role from running back Ronnie Brown. If White can step up and prove his toughness, he definitely has the leadership and physical ability to find himself on the highlight reel in the very near future.