Geoff Robins, CFL.ca
So far Hamilton Tiger-Cat running back John White is enjoying the light at the end of the tunnel.
White rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries in the Tiger-Cats (6-7) nail-biting 35-32 overtime loss to the BC Lions (6-6) last weekend in Vancouver. It was a chance for the 27-year-old from Torrance, Ca., to show he hadn’t collected any rust after battling a series of career-threatening injuries.
“It’s been horrific for me,” the amiable White said in recounting his last few CFL seasons. “It hasn’t been the greatest time.
“There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. I had this opportunity right now to show myself and that’s what I’m going to do.”
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John White has embraced the mindset that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, which has led to some early success with the Ticats with the recent injury to Alex Green. (The Canadian Press)
The Tiger-Cats turned to White after Alex Green suffered a shoulder injury in a Sept. 15 loss to Calgary. White announced himself to the Lions by ripping off an 11-yard run on Hamilton’s first offensive play of the game. In the second quarter, he bulldozed his way into the end zone on an eight-yard run.
It was White’s way of proving to others what he always thought about himself.
“I feel like I’m a great player,” he said. “I feel like I haven’t got to show my full potential as a player in this league or just as a player in general. “
White looked to be on the path to stardom after two productive years with the Edmonton Eskimos beginning in 2013. His career took a detour when he tore his Achilles during training camp and missed all of the Eskimos’ 2015 Grey Cup championship season.
He returned to play 15 games in 2016, rushing for 886 yards and eight touchdowns on 164 carries. He also had 58 catches for 464 yards and a touchdown.
In the 2017 season-opener, White rushed for over 100 yards and a touchdown. Then disaster struck when he suffered a torn ACL in the second game and missed the rest of the year.
Family and faith helped him deal with another long rehab.
“The past three years have been so tough on me,” he said. “That’s why I’m here. I’m a tough dude. I can handle a lot. God wouldn’t give me the journey I have right now if I couldn’t handle it.
“I have kids and a family. When you have a family, you have to pretty much do anything for whoever you are taking care of. I just had to fight. That’s what it really came down to.”
Being released by Edmonton the day before training camps opened remains a sore point for White.
“I do have hard feelings but I’m a bigger man than that,” he said. “I just let stuff go. I’m on my second journey right now.”
The Tiger-Cats signed White in June. He arrived in Hamilton at around 230 pounds but quickly worked his way to back down to his playing weight of around 200 pounds.
“Right now, I’m in the best shape of my life,” said White, who stands five-foot-eight. “My weight is down, I feel explosive.
“I feel fast, I feel powerful. My mind is clear.”
In four games with Hamilton White has rushed 41 times for 152 yards and two touchdowns. He also had two catches for 17 yards.
Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has been impressed with White’s perseverance.
“It says everything you need to know about that kind of guy, his character,” said Masoli. “He’s fit in like a glove since he got here the first day. He fits in because he’s that type of guy.
“He’s somebody you can count on, a resilient person. He’s gone through all those injuries. He’s in top shape now.”
Head coach June Jones admitted White’s history of injuries was a concern when the Tiger-Cats signed him.
“We definitely talked about it, especially up here because of the salary cap,” said Jones. “Edmonton . . . said he was in good condition.
“We liked him. We knew the type of person he was, the character he was.”
So far Jones has liked what he’s seen.
“He’s a great pro,” said Jones. “He’s one of those guys, he can run the ball, he really, really takes a lot of pride in his blocking. I have been really impressed with him.”
White played two years of college football at Utah where he set school records by averaging 106.7 rushing yards a game and with 14 career 100-yard games. He’s the only running back in school history to have back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
After being released by Edmonton White had some options of where he could play liked the idea of starting over in Hamilton.
“Some teams wanted to bring me in, I just chose Hamilton,” he said. “It was a fresh, new place to be. A fresh start for me on the East Coast. I just wanted something different.”
The loss to BC was a bitter pill for White and the rest of the TiCats. Hamilton led 14-3 at halftime and by eight points with just 33 seconds remaining. The Tiger-Cats will be looking for some redemption when the teams meet in a rematch Saturday at Tim Hortons Field.
“We played good (in Vancouver) but we need more,” said White. “We have to finish. We have to find some fight at the end to finish.”
