Rachaad White | Photo by Troy Beckman – Team IFA
Rachaad White is on a lot of people’s radars. The Arizona State University senior was one of the most prolific running backs in college football last year, with more than 1,500 total all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns. He made a splash at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine in March and is poised to be one of the most sought-after running backs in the NFL Draft this April.
The Missouri-raised running back started his college career at Mt. San Antonio College in California before becoming a Sun Devil and has fond memories of his Midwestern upbringing. He grew up watching the Kansas City Chiefs and garnered inspiration from the team as a young athlete.
“I remember scoring my first touchdown… I got the ball, and I was running all over the place, sideline to sideline, crossing the field, reversing the field, and ended up just getting a little more space and just taking it to the house,” he recalls. “As a young kid, you don’t realize what you’re doing really because you’re just having fun.”
White never lost sight of the fun in football, though he takes it a lot more seriously these days. He doesn’t have a specific pro team he’d like to play for, but he says there are certain systems and situations that he thinks would be a win-win. “I don’t think about wishing I could play for anybody because it’s out of my control,” he explains. “I can only control what I can control… I am ready to see who I go to, get there and make an impact.”
He hopes that impact will extend beyond the football field. “I’m just trying to get better – get better at being a better human every day… get better at being a better football player and a better athlete,” he says. “That’s what really drives me – just being the best. If I’m not training today, there’s somebody out there that’s getting better than me, and they’ve got the same goals that I’m trying to reach.”
Despite his calm demeanor and articulate diction, White says he has forgone the media training or interview prep that many athletes undergo. Instead, he chooses to “speak from the heart.” “You see somebody’s true character and who they really are, what they say in interviews and things like that,” he says. “I’m truthful with you and everything I say comes from the heart. You can never go wrong with that.”
When asked what he’s learned from his time at ASU, White says it’s all about the relationships and connections he’s made on and off the field and to treat everyone he meets with respect, regardless of their status. “A lot of people get caught up in a name or the spotlight, but at the end of the day, I’m a human just like everybody else,” he says. “Football is just my job. That’s what I learned from ASU, is just treat everybody the same.”
Though he’s constantly in a highly competitive atmosphere, White tries hard not to compare himself to others. “At the end of the day, I compete with myself. it’s good to compete with them, but that means you’re worried about what the next guy is doing instead of focusing on what you need to do and what you got going on,” he explains. “I just stay in my own lane and focus on myself.”
He’s also focused on the details – of his football game and his life outside of it, despite where he ends up come April. “I’m a big guy on the saying. ‘Trust the process,’” he says. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to enjoy it as well. You can’t put so much pressure on yourself to where you’re not enjoying it. I just want to spread positivity and love and be a great individual, be a great person, be a great human being. The universe rewards those things.”
