On the play that broke Sean White’s right arm and left him ineffective and then benched in the Sugar Bowl, trainers were called to the field to help off the injured player.
But that player wasn’t Auburn’s quarterback. It was the other person involved in the hit, 6-2, 235-pound All-American linebacker Jordan Evans of Oklahoma.
Evans later returned the game and helped the Sooners pull away from the Tigers in what turned out to be Bob Stoops’ last game as head coach.
For White, it was a predictable and frustrating end to a season that included the highs of a six-game winning streak and the lows of another 5-loss season that could have been very different.
The collision with Evans demonstrated the two characteristics always associated with White. He’s tough. He can’t stay healthy.
When Gus Malzahn gets around to naming a starting quarterback, it likely won’t be White, but Jarrett Stidham, another quarterback who was knocked out of the game against Oklahoma in his last year in action in 2015.
Who knows if both or one or neither of the two quarterbacks will stay healthy this year.
But that answer will go a long way in determining the fate of the 2017 Auburn Tigers.
For Threaded Fasteners, I’m Randy Kennedy with Nuts and Bolts of the Game.
