Centre High School graduate and Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachad White returned to his hometown of Kansas City this weekend for the launch of a new youth football camp.
White called it his “first experience with youth football” and said he'd always wanted to start a youth camp and now he feels like he's finally in a position to get it going.
“It means a lot to me to give back to the community,” White said Friday. “I'm a public figure and I have a position, so just being out there and showing kids a different side of me. Just being there and giving them my time. It means a lot, especially to the young people.”
Why Kansas City? White said it made sense to start the camp in a place where his love of football thrives.
“Just being here has had a big impact on me,” White said. “It's shown me what to do and what not to do.”
When planning the groundwork for the inaugural Youth Football Experience, White knew he wanted to go beyond football. The camp itself will take place Saturday morning at Centre High School, but White kicked off the weekend with two separate events on Friday, both held in locations that are meaningful to White.
The first event was a guided tour at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, which White felt would stand out as an opening day venue.
“I had to re-educate myself. The re-education I did for myself was, I probably should have played baseball,” joked White, who ran for 990 yards and nine total touchdowns last season.
“We thought about different things we could teach kids about,” White added, “different things around Kansas City that people don't know about or haven't had a chance to visit.”
White, who finished her college years at Arizona State University, attended the camp with 10 other participants, several of whom were involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas City, an organization White is part of and remains close with longtime Big Brother John Waller, who also serves as White's business manager.
“I've had a lot of great mentors that I look up to, great big brothers and a lot of great people around me that have pushed me to get to where I am today,” White said. “Obviously Kansas City is important to me. It's home.”
Following the tour, White held a social gathering at the Cleaver Family YMCA.
“Obviously, (the YMCA) has a special place in my heart,” White said. “I used to play basketball there and I used to go there with friends from school and my cousins. It's a very important place.”
And he won't be back just for this weekend's road trip, as the Buccaneers are scheduled to travel to Kansas City in Week 9 on Nov. 4 for a Monday Night Football game.
This will be White's first professional visit to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for the Buccaneers' third-round pick in 2022. He has the game circled on his calendar.
“It's going to be amazing,” White said. “I'm sure there will be a big crowd. A lot of my family and my sons are Kansas City fans and I know they'll be cheering me on and wishing me the best of luck.”
White has high expectations for next season, with his mind set on reaching 1,000 yards rushing and winning against Tampa Bay, but the next few days are all about giving back to the community that raised him.
“What I want to give them most is to know who I am,” White said, “my character, how much I support this city, how much I love our kids and young people, and I want to continue to do that.”
