Jahiem White's Road to WVU: The Early Days
What’s good, Mountaineer Nation?
I hope that you are as excited as I am for WVU’s ’22 season. This is my first ever blog. So, here goes nothing….
I thought I should start at the beginning. So, let’s roll the clock back. I was born in Sarasota, Florida on April 19, 2005. I grew up in Liberty City Miami, in the Pork & Beans Housing Complex. If you are familiar with Miami, you know that the area I grew up in is considered to be a high crime area. I was blessed at age 5, to meet my Godfather. He was a little league football coach. He noticed my energy level and my athletic ability and signed me up for football and started playing on a “Super pee wee” team. I played mainly defense at right outside linebacker. From there, I moved up through the South Florida little league ranks. It’s crazy to look back on those times and realize that some of my teammates, and those that I played against, are now being highly recruited by colleges as well. Football in South Florida is a lifestyle. It’s called “the crib” for a reason.
At age 12, I moved to York, Pennsylvania. I played football for the Wellington Panthers. This was the first time I played running back. This is also when I got my nickname, “Florida”. Very few people call me Jahiem up here. Everyone knows me as “Florida”. The next two years I played with the York Bears, again at running back. My freshman season I started varsity as a slot receiver for my high school team, William Penn. My sophomore year I started varsity as a running back. That’s my current position and I am on track to break the high school rushing record. I need around 700 yards and should get them fairly quickly this season.
My days are spent getting ready for the upcoming season. It’s my last dance. So, I’m going hard. No regrets and I’m coming for it all. A typical day starts in the weight room, then I do field work with my team. My teammates are outstanding football players and great people. Without them, I wouldn’t be here and have the opportunities I have. Linemen don’t get enough credit. They are my lifeline. Blessed to have a great o-line and a talented quarterback in Sam Stoner who has his own D-I`offers. My coach, Russ Stoner, has built a program that can stand with the best in Pennsylvania.
Coach Chad Scott and I talk daily. He’s the reason I became a Mountaineer (I’ll go into detail about that next month). I can’t wait to see where he takes my game. I plan to take college courses this fall to finish my senior year in December. I want to get to Morgantown in the spring and start learning the playbook. I want to set myself up to be ready physically and mentally for the ’23 season. I get asked a lot what it’s like to be here. To be a Power 5 recruit who is slated to play for such an outstanding program, I can tell you that it doesn’t feel real sometimes. It feels like a dream. Football has always been my “safe space”. When things were/are hard I can step onto that field and all the noise disappears. My head is quiet. The field is sacred for me. I just get to play my game. I’m free.
I hope I did a good job on this first entry. I wanted you to know where I came from. Next entry will focus on my high school career, my breakout game, and how I became a Mountaineer. Hopefully, you all come back on Sunday, July 17th for my next entry.