White hopes Badgers running back Taylor follows in his footsteps

Taylor led the nation in rushes last season

Madison — The Wisconsin football program’s earned the nickname “Running Back U” in recent years. Former Badger backs Melvin Gordon (Chargers) and James White (Patriots) were back in Madison to host a football camp this weekend, and they both hope current Badgers Jonathan Taylor joins them at the next level.

Taylor, who is preparing for his junior season, will be Heisman front runner and a rising prospect in the 2020 draft.

Wisconsin features a more run-heavy offense than most teams, which means more carries for Taylor. He led the nation in attempts, and he was one of just three backs with more than 300 carries last season (307).

Taylor has 606 rushes in two seasons. White, who shared carries with Melvin Gordon for part of his career, had 643 in four seasons.

“I think it’s taking care of his body, first of all. He gets a lot of touches. That’ll be very important for him,” White said after camp at the McClain Center.”

White quickly added that off-the-field work will be just as important as physical health. “I think just learning your offense inside and out. Not just what you have to do. Learn what the offensive line is doing, what the quarterback’s thinking. That’ll allow you to play faster and be a better football player. I think that’s always a big help because that’s going to be stressed a lot once you get to the next level.”

White’s proven himself as the most versatile player in the Patriots offense. He was second in rushing yards (425) and receiving yards (751), and led the team with 12 total touchdowns. He’s won three Super Bowls in five NFL seasons.

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