[ ARENA FOOTBALL ]
af2 Islander Isaac White
signed by NFL’s ChiefsThe Campbell High School product
snags a free-agent deal and will
report in March
Isaac White's football journey kicked into warp speed this week as the Hawaiian Islanders product is now preparing to make the jump from arenafootball2 to the NFL.
White, a member of the Hawaiian Islanders for the past two years, signed a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday, making the Campbell High graduate the first from the af2 franchise to get a shot with an NFL team.
"It hasn't settled in yet, but it's definitely boggling my mind," White said yesterday. "It's definitely keeping me from sleeping as good as I was before.
"I never thought I would have an opportunity like this, but I guess when you work hard and pray and people believe in you, good things happen."
Isaac White is the second member of last year's Islanders squad to get chance at moving up from af2. Fullback Josh "Zeus" White, a Farrington graduate, is close to earning a roster spot with the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League.
"It's very rewarding," Islanders general manager Chris Dey said. "Deep down that's one of the primary reasons that we're here, to give our guys an opportunity to mature and develop under good coaching with the support of a good organization so that they can pursue their dream."
Said Islanders coach Cal Lee: "We're awfully proud of Isaac and what he's done for the Islanders. It's a goal he's pursued and he's worked hard. He has a passion for the game of football."
White (6-foot-2, 235 pounds) caught the eye of a Chiefs scout, a friend of his cousin, while participating in a tryout with the Las Vegas Gladiators of the AFL.
He said his performance for the scout, which immediately followed a strenuous workout for the Gladiators, wasn't exactly dazzling. But he kept in shape and was surprised to get a call from the Chiefs inviting him to work out for the team's coaches.
He flew to the mainland for the audition last week and returned home Wednesday with a signed deal. He is set to report back to Kansas City in late March for the team's offseason training program and will take part in a minicamp set for May.
"I was going with the flow," White said. "I was saying, 'I'm going to go up there, give it my best shots and if they like me, they like me. If they don't I'll just come back to the Islanders.' "
White played receiver and linebacker in his two seasons with the Islanders and will compete for a roster spot as a defensive back and on special teams, according to a release from the Islanders.
"I like his athletic ability and his toughness," Kansas City head coach Dick Vermeil said in the release. "He'll provide additional competition on special teams, where we've excelled this past season."
Dey said he's known Lynn Stiles, the Chiefs' vice president of football operations and player personnel, for close to 10 years and was able to vouch for White's attributes on and off the field.
"It's easy to evaluate physically how they contribute, but a lot of times the intangibles are tough to measure," Dey said. "By having worked with Isaac and having him on the squad for two years, you get a real good handle on what kind of person he is and the type of intangibles he brings to the franchise."
In his two seasons with the Islanders, White caught 63 passes for 950 yards and 10 touchdowns on offense and posted 82 total tackles (48 solo) on defense. He intercepted two passes last season and returned both for touchdowns.
"He's got deceiving speed," Lee said. "People don't think he's moving that fast, but he can really cover some ground."
When he's not on the field, he works with autistic students at Campbell.
White is the third af2 product to sign with an NFL team in the past two days. Defensive back Khalil Carter of the Arkansas Twisters and Asa Francis of the Quad City Steamwheelers signed with the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday.
The Islanders will hold open tryouts for the coming season starting Feb. 22. For more information, call 532-7362.
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[ NFL FOOTBALL ]
Jackson eyes NFL Europe
for return to gridiron
Former University of Hawaii defensive back Nate Jackson is planning a return to football in NFL Europe this spring.
The Waianae High School product battled through a life-threatening illness in 2002. He last played football with the NFL's Tennessee Titans during training camp that year and said he stayed in contact with the team's coaches. He said he contacted the Titans in the fall and they were able to steer him to NFL Europe.
"I called them up and mentioned that I cleared to go back and play football and I wanted to give it another chance and they were up for it," Jackson said last night. "They took some steps to try to get me back into football."
Jackson had signed to play with the Hawaiian Islanders this season. He said he still needs to hire an agent and finalize the details of the move, but is confident he'll be fighting for a roster spot in NFL Europe, which opens its season in April.
Jackson was twice named a second-team All-Western Athletic Conference safety at UH. After he was released by the Titans following his senior season, he was admitted to the hospital with a viral infection that required heart-valve replacement.
He was cleared to rejoin the UH baseball team a year ago, but said his doctors told him to wait a few months before trying to play football again. He said he started looking seriously at a return to the field while coaching at Waianae last season.
"It'll be weird at first because I haven't played in a while," Jackson said. "It might take me a few weeks to get used to it, but once you get that first hit ... it takes one thing to get you going and get the adrenaline pumping."
Jackson said he's been working to get into shape and is up to 185 pounds.
"I'm stronger than I was in college," he said. "Speed-wise, I've probably lost a step, but I'm also 20 pounds heavier than what I was in college. The biggest thing I have to work on is getting the speed back."