Former USC football player: 'I took illegal money'

White made the admission Wednesday in a first-person story for The Daily, an online publication. He was a sports writer at the Los Angeles Times from 1987 to 2008.

White was a receiver and special-teams player at USC, where he played under John Robinson and Ted Tollner from 1982-86. He went to training camp with the New Orleans Saints before his football career ended.

White says he sold the four season tickets provided to every scholarship player, which is illegal. Players also had the option of buying four more tickets to home games.