He’s a speedster out of the backfield, capable of busting out a long run on any play. Give him some room and he’s gone. With John White IV running the ball, the Lions have one of the best game-breakers in the CFL at his position. As you will see, his production since joining the league in 2013 is even more impressive given the number of games he missed. Once we do get past the COVID-19 shutdown and CFL camps are back underway, look for Whitey to pick up right where he left off in his first season in orange. With more, we continue 5 Things To Know about John White IV….
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John Had His First 1,000-yard season in 2019
It may not have been a season to remember for the Lions in general, but White finally showed what he is capable of doing when not hampered by injuries. In addition to his 1,004 yards on the ground, John also set career highs in games played (16), and carries (192), while his seven rushing touchdowns were one short of his career-best set in 2016 with the Edmonton Eskimos.
As mentioned, if not for some bad luck on the injury front, White would have hit the 1,000-yard plateau much earlier in his career. He appeared in only nine games combined in 2017 and 2018, while a torn Achilles forced him to miss all of Edmonton’s 2015 Grey Cup championship season. You know he’s hungry to be even better once play returns and become a major contributor on his next Grey Cup squad…
Utah Record Holder
White certainly left his mark on the Utah football program. Along with setting school records for rushing yards per game (106.7) and career 100-yard games (14), White left the Utes as the only player in school history to have back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and graduated in sixth on the program’s all-time list with 2,560 career rushing yards.
He transferred to Utah after two seasons at LA Harbor College where he also set multiple rushing records and was named the Central West Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
White Also Works As A Plumber
When he isn’t training for a potential return to the gridiron, White is equally as good with his hands as he is his feet. John works a second job as a plumber in his offseason home of Long Beach, California. His father John White III has run a successful plumbing business in the area for years and perhaps one positive of this whole shutdown has been the chance for father and son to spend a little more quality time together at work.
“I enjoy that a lot. It’s very humbling,” the younger White said of his second job earlier this year.
“It’s very technical and very detailed work. I have fun doing it but being with my Dad makes it even more enjoyable because we can spend more time together.”
The John Whites Don’t Stop At IV
You know all about IV and a little about III. White IV and his wife Mariah are the proud parents to five-year-old daughter London and one-year-old son John V. Once last season ended, John IV was playing the role of stay at home Dad while Mariah was busy at her job as a therapist for special needs kids. As Dad explains it, John V is more likely to be a lineman than a running back as he is quite bigger than most toddlers of his age!
He’s A Fashion Man
Along with working on a clothing line with plans to take it worldwide, John is also a self-confessed shoe nut. He spends a lot of his free time restoring sneakers and claims to own several pairs of running shoes. When asked what his all-time favourite shoe would be, he offered no hesitation: “It has to be the Jordan 1. There is nothing like that dunk silhouette. You can’t beat it.”