He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers and was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2009 NFL draft.

He became a class 6-A All-State first team for football, but played pitcher and outfield in baseball as well, winning two state championships.

He originally had committed to LSU as a wide receiver but changed his mind and signed his letter of intent to WVU.

[2] White passed up a career in affiliated baseball and a six-figure contract with the Anaheim Angels to play college football.

With WVU down 24–7, White came in to replace an injured Bednarik and led the Mountaineers to a 46–44, triple overtime victory.

Against USF, White led the Mountaineers to their first undefeated Big East season since 1993 with a 177-yard, two touchdown rushing performance.

He had the longest rush of his career to date, a 76-yard run, and also totaled 89 yards and score through the air for his third consecutive 200-yard game of his freshman season.

With White now the starting quarterback, the Mountaineers won the rest of their games to win the Big East Conference title and earn a bid to the 2006 Sugar Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs.

White, running back Steve Slaton, and fullback Owen Schmitt were featured on one of the six regional covers of the August 21, 2006, issue of Sports Illustrated, as part of their "Big Men On Campus" article and their 2006–2007 college football season preview.

White followed up a tremendous freshman season with a great sophomore season, in which he passed for 1,655 yards and 13 TDs and rushed for 1,219 yards and 18 touchdowns on his way to being named the Big East Offensive Player of the Year and was named to the first-team all-Big East squad.

He was considered the leader of the team and his three best performances of the year came in the Gator Bowl, in the loss to Louisville when White continued to try to come back late in the game, and against Pittsburgh in the annual rivalry game, a 45–27 win, when he threw for 204 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for 220 yards and two touchdowns.

He was also caught on camera mocking the Pitt Panther growl by a national ESPN audience in that game.

[3] Pittsburgh linebacker H. B. Blades, who was an all-Big East selection that season, said, "Pat White is the best quarterback in college football," after the loss.

His 18 rushing touchdowns is tied for a school record in a season with running backs Ira Errett Rodgers and Amos Zereoué.

The Mountaineers, however, could never get their high-powered offense going against the Panthers and were hurt by fumbles, missed field goals, a run game they could not stop, and a thumb injury to the non-throwing hand of White.

The final Pitt possession saw the underdogs run the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety as the clock expired.

To open up the 2008 football season under head coach Bill Stewart, West Virginia defeated the Villanova Wildcats 48–21.

White's five passing touchdowns before a sell-out crowd is second-best in school history only to Marc Bulger's six in 1998, and his completions and attempts were also career-highs.

White finished the game with 230 total yards and three touchdowns – earning him Big East Offensive Player of the Week honors.

[13] However, the Mountaineers then lost the following Big East matchup against the Cincinnati Bearcats, 26–23 in overtime after a late comeback.

For White's final regular season game as a Mountaineer, at home against South Florida, West Virginia promoted a "White-Out" to honor his career.

[18] Prior to the game, WVU managers scraped out the number 5 in the middle of the field in snow and formed a "5" in the student section with T-shirts before it opened for fans.

[18] White finished his collegiate career in the Meineke Car Care Bowl against North Carolina.

Due to an NCAA rule, Robinson was given the career rushing record by 15 yards, even though he took handoffs at running back.

He led two scoring drives, including a 39-yard touchdown pass, en route to being named the 2009 Senior Bowl MVP.

[31] On March 12, White worked out at his Pro Day exclusively at quarterback, contrary to reports that he would run routes as a receiver and return punts.

In a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 3, 2010, White suffered a helmet-to-helmet collision when, after being tripped, Ike Taylor hit him in the head and left him unconscious where he was carted off the field.

[41] After not playing professional football for two years, White agreed to sign with the Washington Redskins on April 2, 2013.

After he was waived by the Dolphins, White signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals on September 10, 2010.

[52] On January 2, 2020, after spending the past two seasons at Alcorn State, White was hired to coach the running backs group at South Florida.