About Shorty: A Life in Sports:
If sports does indeed build character, then we need to recognize that character is developed not in the college and professional ranks, but in the earlier stages. David White has taken on a worthwhile endeavor to tell the story of Shorty White – a legend among high school coaches in a state where football is legendary.”
– Ray Melick, Columnist, The Birmingham News
Synopsis:
George “Shorty” White is a man of discipline and character, successful in his career and in his personal life. A man of high standards and values, he coached with a passion; his dedication to his players was something that came naturally to him. He loved the kids and while he commandeered his troops in the old school tough-love manner, it worked with a group of blue-collar boys who aspired to please him.
White was a master motivator and while he may have lacked in strategic knowledge, he made up for it with a desire to learn and improve his preparation and edification with respect to the game of football. He struggled early as head coach of Banks High School in the early 60’s but in 1963 he started hitting his stride and won the state championship in 1965. He took Banks High School to the pinnacle of the sport, winning state championships in 1972 and 1973.
In 1974, he was on the verge of winning his third straight title when his star quarterback, Jeff Rutledge, went down with a broken ankle in the last game of the season. Banks lost its playoff game to eventual state champion Homewood, but what White accomplished at a school with a smaller enrollment, playing in the toughest area in the state for football with powerhouses Woodlawn and West End among others, was a testament to White’s mastery of his profession and his passion for his kids and his work.
He went on to the University of Alabama, working under Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant coaching running backs and was part of national championships in 1978 and 1979. He retired from Alabama in 1981 and retired from coaching in 1995. White was a legend in Alabama and coached in the game of the century on Nov. 8, 1974, the Banks-Woodlawn game at Legion Field before 42,000 fans. He was a winner as a coach and remains a winner at life. His story is an Alabama success story, an American success story.