August, 1937: Byron “Whizzer” White joined the Pittsburgh Pirates (that became the Steelers) for one spectacular year in 1938. He’s shown here in a punting pose while at the University of Colorado, but he was most valuable as a running back. To sign with the Pirates, owner Art Rooney paid White $15,800 — at the time, an unbelievable sum. But White earned the money. He captured the league’s rushing title with 567 total yards and was named All-Pro. After the 1938 season, White quit football and headed to Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He returned to the game in 1940, playing for the Detroit Lions so he could raise money to attend law school at Yale. White served in the Navy during World War II, earning two bronze stars. He graduated in 1946 magna cum laude from Yale Law School and in 1962 was appointed to the Supreme Court by President John F. Kennedy.
