Put down Myles White as one who is NOT in favor of doing
away with the kickoff in football.
The kickoff game is one of the reasons White, a Houston
County High Bear senior, is part of the recruiting class for Coffeyville
College in Kansas.
Before Wednesday’s National Signing Day ceremony, White was
watching Sunday’s Super Bowl and saw Jacoby Jones of the champion Baltimore
Ravens return the second-half kickoff a game record 108 yards to the opposite
end zone. He envisioned himself in the position one day.
“That was nice. He was fast,” said White. “I would like to
be there, yeah. He did it right. He hit the hole hard.
“You have to catch the ball first before you start trying to
run. You have to find a hole and hit it as hard as you can.”
White admitted had not read any stories advocating the
elimination of the kickoff, at least in the NFL, on the grounds that it is too
dangerous for the players involved.
“No, no, no,” White responded to the news. “I like the
kickoff return.”
Houston County High was glad to have it and the punt return
in the 2012 season. That allowed White to amass 635 yards on 23 kickoffs and
277 more yards returning seven punts. He scored two touchdowns in each unit.
As a receiver, White led the Bears with 56 catches for 764
yards and four more scores.
He was particularly electrifying in two games last season,
both at McConnell-Talbert Stadium when Houston played Lakeside-Evans and rival
Warner Robins. He had 147 receiving yards on 11 catches vs. Lakeside, and the
following week he had 128 yards on 12 catches against the Demons.
Other highlights include a 75-yard punt return touchdown
against Evans High and a 91-yard score on a kick return at Greenbrier.
“Coffeyville saw me said they liked me,” said White. “They
see me going there for two years and then transferring to a bigger school. It’s
a good thing because (Coffeyville) throws the ball a lot, every play. They run
a spread no-huddle, and it’s a good fit for a receiver. They said I’ll be a
good return man for them, too.
“I think I might get a little homesick, but I’m going to
stick it out. I’m probably going to miss my mom.”
White may be too much into the training and practice that is
college football to miss anybody. He said he’s ready for it, however.
“I thank coach (Fain) Griffin,” said White about his
emergence this season. He had just 10 catches for 56 yards and one score as a
junior. “He taught me how to run routes, to do it right.
“Last year was my first as a receiver. I worked hard over
the summer, and I guess it paid off.”
On the subject of four-year schools and where White might
end up in two years, he picked Oklahoma State as a favorite. Why? The Cowboys
throw the football.
“I’ll probably come back closer to Georgia,” said White, who
plans to study athletic training.
HHJ News
