Trevor White has more than earned his single-digit jersey number
He’s had just four catches all season and only started returning kicks four weeks ago. That’s hardly classified as big production. And standing at 5-foot-7, no one’s going to call him big, either. But Trevor White, wearing a coveted single-digit jersey, is as big as they come for Baylor football.
“Trevor’s a competitor. And he’s earned every bit of that scholarship and he gets in there. He plays hard. He plays fast, does everything we ask,” Rhule said last week. “He does a lot of the little things that don’t show up on the stat sheet, so it’s nice to see him returning some kicks and get on the stat sheet.”
White has been making the most out of his recent playing time in light of the rash injuries to the receiving corps. After two years paying his own way in school, White logged his first four catches of his career on six targets against Texas. He averaged just seven yards per catch but can only continue to grow as he builds a rapport with Charlie Brewer.
The former walk-on that was making PB&J sandwiches for his teammates now has a greater role as first evidenced by the team’s announcement of single-digit players. A tradition Rhule carried on from Temple, players with single digits are the ideal teammate, someone that’s as important off the field as his role on the field. He shows the utmost accountability no matter the situation.
Rhule said White’s a player he truly loves coaching every day, “There’s no doubt. He’s as tough as they come.”
That hasn’t gotten to White’s head though. In his first-ever meeting with the press, White deflected virtually every question about himself to the team.
He said there was a “big opportunity for all of us” in response to the opportunity for more playing time after the team’s injuries. His first thought about the feeling about the needing a win at Kansas was how his teammates are “acting like it’s the first game of the season, trying to get a win” and that’s fueled each practice. Though, he did open up about the role he’s growing into his primary role as a returner.
“Our coaches always say it takes a guy back there to have no fear,” White said. “I think that’s what I [bring]. I have no fear when I’m back there and I love doing.”
While he isn’t breaking any records right now (his 20.6-yard average return ranks just ninth in the conference), he's shown steady improvement.
Against Texas, White averaged 23.8 yards compared to his first outing of just 14.7 yards. He was missing on the box score in the win against Kansas, but as Rhule said, White's contributions extend beyond the field and "he's earned every second" of his scholarship. He's not wearing a coveted number for being a Biletnikoff candidate, but because he was already the man Rhule's impressing upon the team.
It was a media session made of dreams- like he’s been groomed by publicists for years. As everyone was packing up, White left the scene with the team’s associate director of communications and asked, “Did I do a good job?” as if he just returned home after his first peewee game.
While just a single frame of White, it’s an off-the-cuff moment that shows those “little things” left off the stat sheet Rhule praised White for. He’s a selfless player that’s striving for greatness in every aspect. The team knew it all along and now it’s becoming clear how he earned that No. 6 jersey.
