Terry Jones
Last season was supposed to be his breakout year — the year John White would become a big time CFL star as the featured running back of the Edmonton Eskimos.
White had played nine games in 2014, a mere half season. He rushed for 852 yards on 123 carries for an average of 6.9 yards per carry. And he caught 24 passes for 268 yards and 11.2 yards per catch.
Imagine what he would do in 18 games?
Last season was supposed to be the beginning of prime time for the running back out of Utah but he didn’t even get to the starting gate, due to injury, with the team that would go on to become Grey Cup champions.
“It was definitely bitter sweet. I felt like it was my year to get to the Grey Cup, especially coming off the year I had in 2014. I felt like I should have been out there and been part of that,” he said.
“I have the Grey Cup ring but I’m super motivated to win the ring the right way, by playing hard all year, having a great year, getting to the Grey Cup and playing great in the Grey Cup game.
“I still felt like I had something to do with it because I was part of it when we were 4-14 and didn’t have such a good team and played a part in becoming a good team the next year. But I want to be part of it.”
His dad figured out a way to help.
“My dad actually took my ring, so …”
White wasn’t the only member of the Eskimos to be presented a Grey Cup ring prior to training camp who didn’t play in the game.
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He was there on the sideline in Winnipeg when the Eskimos won the cup but spent most of the season watching games in Torrance, California.
“It wasn’t even a week into camp [when I was injured]— probably about five days. It was just grueling. Brutal. Probably everything you could imagine.
“I didn’t really know the extent of the injury when I got it. I thought I’d be coming back in a few weeks. But when they told me it was a torn Achilles I knew I’d be out for the year.
“You have to deal with it. When you play football, you know you’re going to get injured sometime.”
Eskimos Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Ed Hervey arranged for White to do all his rehab in California.
“I have a daughter who hadn’t even turned one yet. He wanted to give me the chance to be there and rehab with my family back home.
“I came up for the Calgary game and for the Grey Cup in Winnipeg. And I came back for a workout in January.”
White joined the team late during Grey Cup week.
“I watched every game online. I felt like I needed to be connected to the team somehow.”
Rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon is not a walk in the river valley.
“It was definitely hard. To rehab it in less than a year, it’s tough. And it’s tougher mentally than it is physically. I’m really proud of myself for coming this far.”
One of the toughest parts is to forget the injury once you are back on the field.
“I made it to camp and I felt like I was good to go. I played a quarter of each game in the pre-season and a full game to open the season, so I felt it was behind me and that I was good to go.”
White figures that if you were to miss out on an entire season in which your team won the Grey Cup, Edmonton is the place to do it.
He figures he’s going to get the experience.
“Multiple Grey Cups. That’s what Ed Hervey is trying to instill in the program. It’s about right now and the future.”
And the five-foot-eight, 185-pound running back doesn’t have any NFL aspirations. He’s fully engaged in having a full meal deal career here.
“I didn’t get any NFL love in the draft but the Eskimos had me on their radar and they signed me to come straight to training camp without going to a tryout camp or anything like that.”
First impressions of the CFL for White were definitely positive.
“I definitely thought it was great. Nobody knows what’s going on up here. A lot of big names and NFL guys come up here and not make it. It’s a real competitive up here and I love it. I tell people that I wouldn’t want to be any other place.”