TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Zig-zag path suits leading rusher

ADVERTISEMENT

By JOEY JOHNSTON

jjohnston@tampatrib.com

Published: October 28, 2009

TAMPA - On the football field, Sickles High running back Cary White generally follows the path of any straight-ahead power player.

"He's going to lower his shoulder and run you over," Sickles coach Pat O'Brien said.

But White's route to becoming Hillsborough County's leading rusher - and finding a spot in the Gryphons' backfield - wasn't as predictable.

White, a 5-foot-9, 190-pound junior, spent two seasons with Gaither. Dissatisfied, he transferred to Chamberlain - he speaks about that two-month stint as dispassionately as someone changing planes in Atlanta - before landing at Sickles in time for spring football.

Finally, he says he has found a home.

Shifting schools has become a major theme of modern prep football, particularly in Hillsborough County, where dozens and dozens of players sought and gained new locations, seemingly with no restrictions. White said he simply needed to do what was best for him.

"I feel like I'm part of a family, a team unit, where we're all pulling together," said White, who became Hillsborough County's first running back to top 1,000 yards rushing this season. "I'm happy here."

White's rush to 1,000 yards - and beyond - has obviously made him a major factor behind Sickles' emergence as one of the county's most surprising teams this season.

But White was popular well before the recent success.

"The first day he was on our team, he stepped in as a leader," Sickles senior middle linebacker Scott O'Donoghue said. "Basically, he's the biggest factor on our offense. He has added a ton.

"Here's the thing about Cary, though. When we played Blake, one of our linebackers went down. Cary stepped in there and played. And he hadn't even practiced at that position. He just does what's needed. It just so happens that he gets a lot of attention for running the ball, but he's a team guy all the way."

White has a similar reaction when asked about his status as the county's rushing leader.

"It's not his major concern," O'Brien said. "As long as he's helping the team, he could care less about his yardage or if he's scoring touchdowns. That's what makes him really special. And he's a great student."

White's father, also named Cary, has emphasized academics. He has witnessed several of his former youth football players "fall to the wayside" because they didn't have the grades for college.

"If the football went away tomorrow, Cary would still be prepared for college and ready to go that route," said the elder White, who won the 120 high hurdles (14.3 seconds) for Alachua Santa Fe High School at the 1984 Class 2A state meet. "We feel very blessed that he has that part of his life in order.

"He's always been the kind of kid who lights up in front of other people. He's so concerned about other kids, about making them shine, that I don't think anybody begrudges him (getting some attention) because they know he's about the team. People probably didn't think something like this would happen at Sickles, but we saw potential. I think this is an organization that's here to stay."

And after moving from Gaither to Chamberlain to Sickles, it looks like White has a permanent home, too.

Reporter Joey Johnston can be reached at (813) 259-7353.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT