University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: Joe Murphy
Family And Football
Dec 21, 2018 | Football
White uses support from his family for success on field.
NOTE: The Brady White feature first appeared in the Tigers Football GameDay program Oct. 13 when Memphis hosted UCF.
Brady White was a highly sought-after quarterback on the recruiting trail after accounting for 128 touchdowns, including 19 on the ground, and more than 11,000 passing yards in his three-year varsity career at Hart High School in Newhall, Calif.
The man that lured him to his first destination at Arizona State was Mike Norvell, then-offensive coordinator for the Sun Devils. After White's first season, however, Norvell left Arizona State to become head coach of the Memphis Tigers.
Injuries plagued much of the 2016 campaign and all of the 2017 season for White, and although the idea and intention to transfer wasn't initially on the front burner, it was a topic that was later visited. White ultimately made the decision to transfer from Arizona State to Memphis, which provided the opportunity to reunite with Norvell.
"I was happy when he got his head coaching job, and now I am very fortunate to be able to come play here and play for the coach that initially recruited me out of high school," said White.
Reconnecting with Norvell at Memphis wasn't the only reason White decided to come to the Bluff City. The success of the team and the goals set by the coaching staff was appealing to White. Another attraction for White was the Tigers' devotion to family.
"That (family) was one of the things when he was exploring the options of what to do on his journey and his next step," said Norvell. "Our football family was something that was very attractive to him, and we're so glad to have him."
The downside to transferring meant moving an additional 1,300 miles away from his home in Southern California.
His parents, Deron and Andrea, are now faced with having all three of their children several thousand miles away. White's younger brother, Brevin, is redshirting his freshman year with the Princeton football team. His younger sister, Julia, works in the football recruiting office at Notre Dame.
Additional travel means nothing to the White family as they have made the trek across the country to watch every game Memphis has played so far.
White started playing flag football when he was 4- or 5-years-old and picked up the role of quarterback a couple of years later. Much like a lot of young football players, White had the dream of playing in the NFL. Once he got into junior high, he was set on trying to make that happen.
"I have always known that I wanted to be a quarterback and play in the NFL. That was my dream. I started playing from a young age, and I had awesome parents who never put anything on me," said White. "They let me roll into whatever sport I wanted to play. I played basketball, baseball and then football was always my first love, and I stuck with it."
How White approaches life can be directly correlated to his family's support: the way he treats people, how hard he works in the classroom, how hard he works on the football field. It all goes back to the way his parents raised him.
"His family comes to every single game. That shows how important family is to him," said offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham. "That they were going to come to everything they did and support each other.
"He grew up in a competitive environment with his family and that carries over to football. He's been in that environment where family was football and he carries that over here just by how he treats people. This is his family now. We are his family in Memphis."
Selfless is a good word to describe White. In countless interviews after games, he is the first to give credit to others – the team's running backs, tight ends, wide receivers, offensive line, and the defense for keeping points off the board. White always makes sure others know he can't do it all by himself.
He directs a similar type of credit to his siblings who have reinforced how his parents raised them and also helped White chase after his dream.
"My sister has always loved being around sports and has always been very supportive of my brother and me," added White. "(She's) kind of like an offensive lineman who doesn't get a bunch of credit. Julia, growing up, went to all of our football games and was very supportive. She's amazing. I love having her as my sister."
For White, football's been a big part of his life and a dream he's still chasing. And, his family's been there with him every step of the way.
Brady White was a highly sought-after quarterback on the recruiting trail after accounting for 128 touchdowns, including 19 on the ground, and more than 11,000 passing yards in his three-year varsity career at Hart High School in Newhall, Calif.
The man that lured him to his first destination at Arizona State was Mike Norvell, then-offensive coordinator for the Sun Devils. After White's first season, however, Norvell left Arizona State to become head coach of the Memphis Tigers.
Injuries plagued much of the 2016 campaign and all of the 2017 season for White, and although the idea and intention to transfer wasn't initially on the front burner, it was a topic that was later visited. White ultimately made the decision to transfer from Arizona State to Memphis, which provided the opportunity to reunite with Norvell.
"I was happy when he got his head coaching job, and now I am very fortunate to be able to come play here and play for the coach that initially recruited me out of high school," said White.
Reconnecting with Norvell at Memphis wasn't the only reason White decided to come to the Bluff City. The success of the team and the goals set by the coaching staff was appealing to White. Another attraction for White was the Tigers' devotion to family.
"That (family) was one of the things when he was exploring the options of what to do on his journey and his next step," said Norvell. "Our football family was something that was very attractive to him, and we're so glad to have him."
The downside to transferring meant moving an additional 1,300 miles away from his home in Southern California.
His parents, Deron and Andrea, are now faced with having all three of their children several thousand miles away. White's younger brother, Brevin, is redshirting his freshman year with the Princeton football team. His younger sister, Julia, works in the football recruiting office at Notre Dame.
Additional travel means nothing to the White family as they have made the trek across the country to watch every game Memphis has played so far.
"I can probably count on one hand the number of games my dad has missed in my life," added White. "Same with my mom. It kills them when they can't come. I don't know how they do it, but I am so lucky to have them."
White started playing flag football when he was 4- or 5-years-old and picked up the role of quarterback a couple of years later. Much like a lot of young football players, White had the dream of playing in the NFL. Once he got into junior high, he was set on trying to make that happen.
"I have always known that I wanted to be a quarterback and play in the NFL. That was my dream. I started playing from a young age, and I had awesome parents who never put anything on me," said White. "They let me roll into whatever sport I wanted to play. I played basketball, baseball and then football was always my first love, and I stuck with it."
How White approaches life can be directly correlated to his family's support: the way he treats people, how hard he works in the classroom, how hard he works on the football field. It all goes back to the way his parents raised him.
"His family comes to every single game. That shows how important family is to him," said offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham. "That they were going to come to everything they did and support each other.
"He grew up in a competitive environment with his family and that carries over to football. He's been in that environment where family was football and he carries that over here just by how he treats people. This is his family now. We are his family in Memphis."
Selfless is a good word to describe White. In countless interviews after games, he is the first to give credit to others – the team's running backs, tight ends, wide receivers, offensive line, and the defense for keeping points off the board. White always makes sure others know he can't do it all by himself.
He directs a similar type of credit to his siblings who have reinforced how his parents raised them and also helped White chase after his dream.
"My sister has always loved being around sports and has always been very supportive of my brother and me," added White. "(She's) kind of like an offensive lineman who doesn't get a bunch of credit. Julia, growing up, went to all of our football games and was very supportive. She's amazing. I love having her as my sister."
For White, football's been a big part of his life and a dream he's still chasing. And, his family's been there with him every step of the way.
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