Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
EDMONTON — There are plenty of star players slated for free agency next month, but perhaps none more intriguing than Eskimos running back John White.
White was one of the CFL’s top-ranked running backs going into 2017 before disaster struck: White suffered a season-ending injury in the Eskimos’ second game.
That was a knee injury, of course, while it was an Achilles injury that sidelined White in 2015. Yet that’s where some fans draw the line, making the Eskimos running back a forgotten player for some heading into 2018 free agency.
The reality is that White is a premier running back, aged 26, coming off a major knee injury that has almost become common for professional athletes. There’s no reason to believe White can’t bounce back, and his running ability should benefit a team willing to take the risk as early as 2018.
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John White runs the ball during the Eskimos’ season-opener in 2018 (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)
There are, of course, a few things working against John White. For one, American running backs are a dime a dozen. Consider the fact that the majority of CFL teams, save for Calgary, have someone with experience penciled in as their starting running back.
For another, White’s injury history will play against him. There’s a point where durability is a concern, and any team that chooses to employ White as a feature back better have a backup plan, if only based on history alone.
Both of those points, however, can be countered. While American running backs are a dime a dozen, as the saying goes, upper-echelon running backs are not. White can catch the ball and is solid in pass protection, while his running ability is matched by few around the CFL. White averaged 6.9 yards per carry in his breakout 2014 season at age 23, while his career 5.6-yard average is impressive in itself.
On the injury front, White still has youth on his side, and he’s proven he’s a fast and strong healer. Off one of the most devastating injuries in professional sport, a ruptured Achilles, White was averaging better than six yards per carry over the second half of 2016. That year he had nine touchdowns in total, combining for 1,350 yards from scrimmage.
With John White, there are no guarantees. And in a free agent class that currently includes Roy Finch, Jerome Messam and Travon Van, it’s easy to see how White could become a forgotten name.
All of that said, the Eskimos back has been too good in his CFL career to ignore. If White gets a chance somewhere, it could pay off in a big way for one Canadian Football League team.
Does the reward outweigh the risk for John White?
