Pure Husky: Linebacker Scott White
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When he was being recruited, one thing we
learned about San Diego's Scott White, is that he cares deeply about
what's going on around him. Whether it be how his best friends are progressing
in their own game of football, or whether or not he'll get to see his family
sitting in the stands at one of his games at Husky Stadium this year. One thing
is for certain, this Husky linebacker has a heart of gold--and a mind for
football..
"I definitely improved a lot", Scott told us
regarding his tough performance at the Washington spring game, "I know I still
have a lot of work to do, but as far as getting knowledge for the game and a
feel for the game, right down to the tempo, I definitely feel that I've made
some big strides in the past couple of years."
Scott was a part of the class of 2002. His good
friend, and roommate, Stanley Daniels is a defensive lineman for Washington who
was also a member of the 2002 class, and Scott always adds to his conversations,
"Stan is doin' alright too".
That's the way Scott is. "It's always hard to
get back on that plane", White told us about leaving home to return back to
Seattle to start two a days, "Don't get me wrong--I'm ready to play, but it's
hard because I miss my family. So that's a hard flight, but once I'm there and
start playing and practicing, I'm not thinking about anything else except the
game that's coming up."
That game is Ohio State.
"That's going to be a big game", White added,
"Cutting down on mental mistakes.....that's what we lacked sometimes last year,
as a defense--we need to get more confident. But as you see, we got going late
in the season last year, the confidence kept rising and rising, and that's a big
part of it. If you play with confidence you can win those big games on the road
like that."
As far as his own personal goals, Scott
received high praises from former Husky coach Rick Neuheisel during the spring.
But Scott understands he has to keep climbing that ladder and getting stronger,
"I need to improve my strength", he said, "Every knows that. I know I need to
get stronger at the point of attack, but as far as running, I feel I have good
instincts and with the passing I've felt that I had a good feel for what's going
on out there."
Now that his redshirt season is over, Scott is
eager to be in the two deeps, slated right behind returning starter Marquis
Cooper at MIKE.
A lot can change in a year for a football
player -- who a year ago right now -- was suddenly feeling the enormity of what
it means to play big time college football, "It was fall", he reminisced about
last August, "I was like--man--everything was going a million miles an hour. I
learned though, and it's easier now."
Scott White's Bio
Washington: Coming off an outstanding
spring that saw him play with the first-team defense during the spring game
while veterans Tim Galloway and Marquis Cooper were sidelined due to injuries
... good instincts to be around the ball. 2002: Redshirted the season ...
received a Husky Team Scout Squad MVP award for his work prior to the San Jose
State game.
High School and Personal: Born Oct. 25,
1984 in San Diego ... parents are Nickie and James ... has four siblings -
Travis, Tosha, Tyrone and Todd ... named San Diego CIF Defensive Player of the
Year and San Diego Union-Tribune Defensive Player of the Year with 167 total
tackles, 11 sacks, four fumble recoveries, two blocked punts and an interception
... also rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and 20 touchdowns on the offensive side
of the ball ... was used at tailback, fullback, tight end, linebacker, punter,
quarterback and defensive end during his career ... scored four times on short
runs in 37-7 win over previously-unbeaten Marian Catholic squad ... led Mission
Bay to second-consecutive CIF San Diego Section Championship ... dominated
championship game, also against Marian, with 18 tackles, three sacks, and a
blocked punt returned by a teammate for a touchdown ... a San Diego
Union-Tribune All-State first-team selection ... a three-time first-team
all-conference honoree ... as a junior in 2000, tallied 181 tackles, 30
tackles-for-loss, eight sacks, four forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and an
interception ... had remarkable 21 tackles in 2000 CIF Sectional championship
win over Lincoln ... earned all-CIF, all-county and all-state underclass honors
in 2000 ... an honorable mention selection in the Long Beach Press-Telegram's
2001 "Best in the West" poll.