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White working on
jump to NFLThe Campbell High alum
will report to the Chiefs'
training camp later this month
At this time last year, Isaac White's Hawaiian Islanders teammates looked at him as one of the guys.
Now they look to him as an example.
A year after White helped the Islanders win arenafootball2's West Division, he is preparing for training camp with the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs.
"He's one of my idols that I've looked up to through high school and through college and I've seen how productive he's been and how the hard work is paying off for him," current Islander Anthony Arceneaux said.
"You just love to see anybody from Hawaii get an opportunity to play on that high of a level."
After spending the spring working out at the Chiefs' facility in Kansas City, White is back home preparing for training camp, which opens July 29 at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
White, a 1995 Campbell High graduate and a receiver/ linebacker for the Islanders last summer, is listed as a 6-foot-2, 235-pound outside linebacker on the Chiefs roster. But he still has to survive two cuts in training camp before he can start thinking about taking the field in the Chiefs' regular-season opener against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 12.
Scott Fujita, who led Kansas City with 151 tackles last season, and Fred Jones are listed ahead of White on the Chiefs depth chart.
"We have a lot of good athletes on the team and it's going to be very competitive and it's going to be tough making this team," White said. "But I came this far -- I have nothing to lose."
White scored eight touchdowns for the Islanders last season, two on defense, and earned his shot at making the Chiefs in a fusion of preparation and good fortune in January.
One of White's cousins happened to strike up a conversation with a Kansas City scout during a stop at the gym and mentioned that White was attending an Arena Football League tryout in Las Vegas.
After the AFL session, the scout gave White a look and was impressed enough with his athletic ability that the Chiefs signed him to a free-agent contract.
"It was a bizarre situation," White said. "My cousin was in 24 Hour Fitness, he was doing cardio right next to a scout from Kansas City. If I hadn't been working hard when I went up there I wouldn't have made it. You never know when that opportunity is going to come."
After signing his contract, White flew to the Chiefs' training facility to participate in the team's offseason training program.
The Chiefs are revamping a defense that gave up close to 357 yards per game last season and hired Gunther Cunningham as defensive coordinator to implement the scheme.
With the first-teamers learning the new plays, White didn't get much action in the Chiefs' mini-camp. He hopes to catch the attention of the Kansas City coaches with his effort on special teams when the players put on the pads in training camp.
"It was tough," White said of biding his time on the sidelines during mini-camp. "You can get frustrated and it can either bring you down or you can take advantage of it, play your role and just keep working. That's how life is; it's how you deal with obstacles."
White, who turns 27 on Saturday, admitted to feeling a bit out of place when he arrived at the Chiefs' facility. But the anxiety quickly dissolved once the actual work started.
"I'm a free agent, a rookie, and they made me feel so welcome," White said. "I just thank God for the opportunity. I don't know how any other organization would be, but this organization is awesome. The people there are great.
"I was a little intimidated, but they make you feel so welcome the intimidation was gone as soon as I stepped on the field and started working out with them. There was like a bond already."
White has kept a journal of the workouts the Chiefs' staff put the players through with the idea of helping young players down the road. And he hopes his NFL opportunity will open the eyes of others still dreaming of getting a shot in professional football.
"I hope they look at me and say, 'He did it. Why can't I do it?' " White said. "As long as they know it wasn't just handed to me, (that) I had to work for it."
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