Running back makes national name for himself
By now, many sports fans have seen it on TV and the internet, locally and nationally.
A North Fort Myers High School running back goes up the middle, darts to his left and sees nothing but black jerseys converging on him.
All 11 jump on him, spin him around, but incredibly Zaquandre White doesn’t go down. Instead, he darts to his right, finds daylight and races toward the corner of the end zone, hurdling over a defender as he crosses the goal line.
This incredible run against Sarasota-Riverview has made soon-to-be junior running back White a household name, one that has college scouts and coaches salivating, even if he has verbally committed to Florida State.
Within days, the run went viral. Every local TV station was running it on the local news, with major sports networks such as ESPN also showing the run.
Such attention may give some kids a big head, but White isn’t some self-entitled, cocky athlete.
White, who shared the backfield last year, is expected to carry the load from the tailback position this coming season for a team looking at scoring its first winning season since 2007, when Noel Divine roamed the backfield.
North head coach Earnest Graham said he isn’t too surprised by all he does.
“He’s just a determined player, and when you have his mix of skills, impressive things happen. I expect him to make more runs like that,” Graham said.
Bill Johnson, head coach at Riverview, said his heads were teeing off on him and wrapping him up. He was just too strong.
“He’s so strong and flexible and athletic, he was able to get out of it, which 99 percent of the kids we play won’t be able to do,” Johnson said. “I’m excited for him because he has a great mentor.”
Graham sees a player with “potential through the roof.”
“The question is what he’ll put on himself as a competitor and being a student of the game. That will make him a special player,” Graham said.
Right now, his strengths are his flexibility and instincts. He just needs to focus on his enormous set of skills and learn to use them, he said.
“When you have a huge skill set, it’s hard to narrow them and find the focus as an athlete to make him more effective,” Graham said. “Getting that focus will help him out.
“If he’s able to improve and listen to what Coach Graham tells him, the sky’s the limit,” Johnson said. “It depends on if he’s willing to improve and get better to become elite or stay the same.”