LenDale White Says He Suffered 20-30 Concussions, Would Abuse Vicodin

Former USC and NFL running back LenDale White estimates he suffered between 20 and 30 concussions and says he abused prescription pain killers during his playing career.  

"You lose consciousness and then all of a sudden it’s like shoooo-ooooof," White told the Los Angeles Times' Zach Helfand. "Like, that’s how it sounds, like shhhhhhloooof, and then all of a sudden you hear the play again."

White said he used Vicodin to deal with the pain, which later turned into a full-blown addiction. 

"And I don't mean like popping a pain pill because I'm hurt," White said. "I mean popping scripts. Like 10 Vicodins at a time type [stuff]. You know what I mean? To feel it, like I'm high. To feel the numbness."

White was an All-American at USC, finishing with 3,159 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns during his collegiate career. He and Reggie Bush were one of the best one-two punches in college football history, winning one national championship together and nearly another. 

The Tennessee Titans selected White in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft, but his pro career never reached the same heights. He rushed for 1,110 yards in 2007 and had 15 touchdowns in 2008, yet struggled to perform consistently and had weight issues.

The Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos both brought him in during the 2010 campaign. The Seahawks, under former USC head coach Pete Carroll, ended up releasing him. The Broncos placed him on IR after he suffered a torn Achilles that ultimately ended his career.