By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post
HAYS – As the Fort Hays State football team prepares for the upcoming season, veteran defensive back Will White is preparing for his return. White missed the last four games of the 2021 campaign due to an injury and is excited to be back on the field when they open in less than two weeks at No. 2 Northwest Missouri State.
“With those injuries it takes a lot out of you mentally but it’s probably the best I’ve felt mentally coming into a fall camp.” White said.
The Tigers are coming off their first losing season since 2012 but the Topeka native is confident, they will be better this season.
“The way this fall camp has been going, the compete level that we’ve been giving the offense and the offense has been giving us, I think we can definitely come back to that and play honestly the way Fort Hays defense should be playing.”
White has played in 17 games and has made 11 starts entering his redshirt junior year and feels this year’s defense has a chance to look like those in the past seasons.
“I think one of the biggest things that we’ve improved on from last year is out communication on all aspects from the d-line to the linebackers and the secondary.” White said. “Funny thing is, I feel like that’s still the thing we need to still work at and get better at and of course physicality, you can never be too physical.”
Many Tiger fans my recognize White as a bagger at Dillons where he’s worked since arriving in Hays in 2018. He says that’s given him a special bond with the community of Hays.
“It’s funny, the Sunday (after games), you see people in the community and they’re just like hey ‘good game’. This community is really invested in this football team. It just motivates me.”