A few years ago, as WVU was set to retire Sam Huff's number, the athletic department came up with a set of criteria that needed to be met before a player's jersey would be retired. At the time, I applauded the effort. Instead of retiring the waterboy's jersey, WVU would be ultra-selective in its decision-making.
But now, as we bid adieu to a quarterback that has broken the mold at quarterback at our school, it's time to do the same with our retirement requirements. Who cares if Pat White hasn't yet had a successful pro career. He's the all-time leading rusher at QB in NCAA history, he's the first QB to win four bowl games as starter, and he's the best damn player in Mountaineer history. All of those, plus hundreds of other reasons, lead me to reach only one conclusion:
Retire #5. Now.
PS: There's much more to say on one of the better days a Mountaineer could enjoy. Football, basketball...everything went right. But right now, I just wanted to get this off my chest. We'll be back with much more throughout the week.
[photo courtesy of CBS Sportsline]