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| No. 13 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | November 10, 1995 Boca Raton, Florida, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 211 lb (96 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| High school | Fort Lauderdale (FL) University Nova South |
Sean Michael White (born November 10, 1995) is an American football quarterback who formerly played for the Auburn Tigers. White ranks third in Auburn history for career passing efficiency and fourth in completion percentage. [1]
White attended Chaminade-Madonna in Hollywood, Florida before transferring to University School for his senior year. [2] He finished his high school career as one of Broward County’s all-time leading passers, throwing for over 8,400 yards and 117 TDs. [3] He was named 1st-Team All-Florida twice and 1st-Team All-Broward three times. [4] [5] [6]
In 2013, White won the Elite 11 competition MVP, competing against top QBs from across the country such as Deshaun Watson, Kyle Allen, DeShone Kizer, and Will Grier. [7] White was also QB of the South Florida Express, a summer 7-on-7 team with top South Florida prospects and QB alumni that include Teddy Bridgewater and Geno Smith. [8] After his senior season, he was named MVP of the 2014 Under Armour All-America Game completing 10/12 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown. [9] White was rated a 4-star recruit by Rivals.com and 247sports, noting strengths in intangibles, instincts, and arm talent, with weaknesses in physical size and speed. [10] [11] He committed to Auburn University to play college football. [12] [13]
White redshirted his first year at Auburn in 2014.
In 2015, White began as backup to Jeremy Johnson, but was named starter after three weeks. [14] He made his first collegiate start against Mississippi State and Dak Prescott. [15] [16] White went on to start six games in 2015, becoming the first freshman QB in Auburn history to pass for 250+ yards in three straight games (Ole Miss, Kentucky, Arkansas), and the first Auburn QB to do so since Dameyune Craig in 1997. [17] Injuries caused him to miss the final games of the regular season, including the Iron Bowl.
Prior to the 2016 season, White was publicly named the starter by Gus Malzahn after battling Johnson and JUCO transfer John Franklin III, [18] but all three quarterbacks took meaningful snaps in the season opener against Clemson. [19] White would take control of the job a few weeks later in a home win over LSU. [20]
After nine weeks, White held the best passer rating in the SEC, leading Auburn to six straight wins and inside the Top 10. [21] [22] During the win streak, White suffered a shoulder injury in a 40–29 road win over Ole Miss, [23] and was initially held out in the following game against Vanderbilt. With Auburn trailing 13-10, White started the 2nd half and threw a go-ahead touchdown to Darius Slayton, leading Auburn to a 23–16 comeback win and temporarily keeping postseason chances alive. [24] [25] Any playoff hopes were short-lived, as the injuries to White and tailback Kamryn Pettway limited Auburn’s offense the next week against Georgia, and the Tigers lost in Athens.
After missing the Iron Bowl for the second straight year, White returned in the Sugar Bowl against Oklahoma, but was replaced in the 2nd quarter after breaking his arm. [26] [27] White finished 2016 with 1,679 passing yards, 11 total touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and led the SEC with a 63.9 completion percentage. [28]
White missed spring practice in 2017 due to injuries from the previous season, and lost the starting position to Baylor transfer Jarrett Stidham. [29] On September 18, 2017, he was dismissed from the team following a public intoxication arrest, ending his career at Auburn. [30] [31]
| Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Comp | Att | Yds | TD | INT | Rate | Att | Yds | Avg | TD |
| Auburn Tigers | |||||||||||
| 2014 | Auburn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | Auburn | 83 | 143 | 1,166 | 1 | 4 | 123.2 | 30 | 35 | 1.2 | 0 |
| 2016 | Auburn | 133 | 208 | 1,679 | 9 | 3 | 143.1 | 55 | 163 | 3.0 | 2 |
| Career | 216 | 351 | 2,845 | 10 | 7 | 135.0 | 85 | 198 | 2.3 | 2 | |
White was arrested and charged with public intoxication shortly before 3 a.m. on Homecoming Night, September 17, 2017. Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn dismissed White from the team the next day, stating: "He has made poor decisions that are not in the best interest of our program, and more importantly, himself.” [31]
In February 2018, a municipal court judge in the city of Auburn dismissed the public intoxication charge against White. [32]
White considered offers to join other programs after leaving Auburn, but with several injuries and limited eligibility remaining prior to the transfer portal era, he chose to finish his degree at Florida International University. White currently lives in Boston, MA. [33]
White’s brother, Drew, played football as a linebacker for Notre Dame. [34]