Wilford “Whizzer” White, 84, considered the first star in Arizona State football history, died August 1, 2013. White, father of former ASU great Danny White, was a charter inductee into both the ASU Sports Hall of Fame and the Sun Devil Ring of Honor. His No. 33 is one of only five numbers ASU has retired. From 1947-50, White rushed for 3,173 yards, then the most in school history, earning All-American honors in 1950 as ASU’s first All-American in football. He paved the way for program success that came in later decades. White led ASU to nine wins for the first time in school history and helped defeat UA in back-to-back seasons, erasing the pain of 11 consecutive rival losses. Today, White stands fourth on ASU’s career rushing list, one of many places his name is found in the school record book. White’s 1,502 rushing yards in 1950 are the second-highest season mark in school history. His 150.2 yards per game that season still have not been matched. His 22 touchdowns and 136 points, including a school-record 30 against Idaho, also remain single-season records. Over his career, White collected nicknames. At times, he was known as “The Mesa Meteor” and the “The Wizard of the Harmonica.” Eventually, as White explained in 2007, he was known simply as Whizzer. “The newspaper guys picked up the Wizard nickname and then they connected it with Byron ‘Whizzer’ White, who was an All-American about 10 years ahead of me in college at Colorado, and it stuck to me like glue,” White said. After his ASU career, the Chicago Bears selected White in the third round of the 1951 NFL draft. He played just two seasons, however, his career cut short because of knee issues. Former ASU teammate, Larry Kentera said, “I was there when he came in as a freshman. He was one of the hottest recruits in the country. And with all his accolades, he never forgot his teammates.” And from ASU Coach Todd Graham, “Whizzer embodied all of the attributes of the Sun Devil Way that we teach our players. The mark he left on this program will always echo through Sun Devil Stadium.”  “Our thoughts are with the White family as we celebrate the life of not only one of our all-time great athletes, but one of our great Sun Devils,” ASU Vice President of Athletes Steve Patterson said. Whizzer owned the Mesa Merchant Police, founded by his father in 1938. He is survived by his wife Shirley Merrill White, five children, 26 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren and three siblings. A visitation will be held Wednesday, August 7, from 6-8 PM at Bunker's Garden Chapel, 33 N. Centennial Way, Mesa, AZ. Services are Thursday, August 8, at 10am at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints, 933 E. Brown Rd., Mesa, AZ with visitation starting at 9am.  (Source: ASU Foundation)