St. Joseph High School graduate Norman White is able to catch passes for the Villanova University football team despite a partially torn labrum.
The Wildcats need more from their preseason All-American, though.
White played mostly on passing downs in Saturday’s win over Penn, but Villanova coach Andy Talley said Monday that White’s value goes beyond that.
“We do lose a little bit when he’s not in there in the running game because the guy is a terrific blocker, and I think that’s why the pro scouts are interested in him, because he is a terrific receiver, but he also blocks at 6-(foot)-4,” Talley said in his weekly teleconference. “So we’re going to kind of watch his progress this week to see if he can handle some of the run game, because I’d like not to be showing our hand that every time he’s in the game we’re going to throw the ball.”
Talley praised White’s ability to play at all through the injury, though.
“I was amazed that he could play as well as he did on Saturday, because he took some hits,” Talley said. “He had the big touchdown catch in the end zone, then he had a long pass down the middle which, you know, he landed right on his shoulder, but he plays very well with it and he’s proving that he can play with pain. And that’s really important for a guy like that.”
