Who says nice guys can't play football?
Off the field, BYU safety Spencer White may not look or act the part of a gridiron star, but his aggressive play and gritty game-time demeanor show that he undoubtedly belongs between the goalposts.
He may not have followed the fastest path to starting in the Cougar secondary, but he turned his improbable dream into reality and deserves his role as a team leader.
Paragon of the Program
In BYU's effort-based system that demands the most from every player every play, both physically and mentally, it's easy to understand that not everyone has what it takes. But if the Cougars want to show off a star of success to prove it can be done, none shines brighter than Spencer White.
The epitome of the "best-man-plays" mentality the football coaches preach, Spencer is finally reaping the rewards of his dedication as he's popping his opponents' pads on the field.
After double-takes from fans and media last season to find out who No. 24 was and where he came from, Spencer has solidified himself as an inspiring anchor of a tenacious and devoted defense.
But it didn't always seem like he'd make it here.
Turning of the Tide
Football didn't always top Spencer's priority list growing up as he dreamed of basketball career at BYU. Although his hoop dream continued on the Orem High School team for three years, his passion steadily shifted from the three-point line to the goal line.
"Basketball took a back seat and football became my favorite sport to play," Spencer said.
He showed his love of the game by excelling as a two-way star for the Tigers, shutting down receivers as a cornerback and hauling in catches on offense. He gained the respect of his coaches and opponents, but he fell behind in the recruiting race his senior year and didn't get much recognition from Division-I teams.
"I sent some highlight tapes out, but a lot of teams had already signed who they wanted by the time they got to see me," he said.
Army and Snow College showed interest, and Dixie State offered him an academic scholarship, but he chose to follow his dream and family tradition to attend BYU. The Cougars did not have a scholarship to offer him, but when they welcomed him as a walk on without making him try out, Spencer headed across town to start from the ground up.
From the Ground Up ... and Back Again
As he expected as a pre-missionary freshman, Spencer redshirted the 1999 season at BYU. He contributed as a member of the prep team and learned under legendary coach LaVell Edwards.
"It was fun playing under Coach Edwards," Spencer said. "You could tell he was just a really great person, and he just had a presence about him."
But when Spencer returned from his two-year mission to Montevideo, Uruguay, he wasn't received with the open arms he hoped to see. With Edwards retiring and a new coaching staff in place, White was told he had to try out and compete with 30 other potential walk-ons for the few remaining roster spots.
"I was worried that I wasn't going to be given a chance," he said. "I was so out of shape after my mission and we had to run 40's, and I ran terribly."
He also had to go to weightlifting sessions at 6 a.m. four days a week, all the while knowing he wouldn't be on scholarship and might not even make it on the spring practice roster. Despite the reasons to complain or quit, Spencer stuck with it and impressed the coaches enough to resume his duties on the practice squad. He dressed one game in 2002 and didn't see any playing time, and once again he realized that he'd need to fight for his spot the next season.
A New Chance
Spencer's career took a turn for the better when Bronco Mendenhall brought a new scheme and a new approach to the Cougar defense in 2003.
"Coach Mendenhall was intense and had a presence about him," Spencer recalled. "He stressed that he was going to play the best 11 guys out there. It didn't matter where you came from or if you were on scholarship or what kind of accolades you had coming to college. I was just really excited when he came in, and I felt like I had a new opportunity."
Spencer took advantage of Mendenhall's mentality and never doubted his own abilities. He worked up to third string on the cornerback depth chart and saw significant action on special teams during 2003. But still no playing time on defense, and still no scholarship.
The following spring, Spencer was welcomed into practice, but he faced a decision when team doctors suggested he undergo surgery to repair ligament damage in his right ankle. He was aware that he could lose ground he gained the previous two seasons, and he didn't want to begin again.
"I just refused to have surgery," Spencer said. "I said there was no way, because if I don't go to spring ball and make an impact, there's no way I'm going to play at all the following fall."
After choosing heavy ankle tape over surgery, Spencer was thrust into a crash course for safeties when Mendenhall moved him from corner to fill a vacancy left by injuries. The position came naturally and he found himself intercepting passes and making correct reads in practice, causing coaches to promote him to second string before his junior year.
When the projected starter returned to his missionary service before the start of the 2004 season, Spencer was prepared to take over the top spot at left Katback, fulfilling his dream and rewarding his perseverance.
Starting, Staying and a Scholarship
"I was really nervous going in to the game because I'd never started before," Spencer said of the 2004 opener against Notre Dame, a 20-17 BYU victory. "I just got the chills running through the tunnel and it was just an awesome experience. I was able to make some plays and have a lot of fun."
The fun continued as he started 10 of 11 games last year, recording 50 tackles and two interceptions. Fans soon learned his story and were surprised to discover that he still wasn't on scholarship.
Near the end of the season, after realizing Spencer would be a mainstay on the Cougar defense for the rest of his career, Mendenhall approached the 2004 BYU Walk-on of the Year and assured him he wouldn't be eligible for that honor his senior year.
"It meant a lot to get a scholarship," Spencer said. "Some scholarship players may not appreciate it as much as I do. It's hard for walk-ons to stay motivated because they invest so much time along with school and they don't know if it's going to work out. I set out to play here and start someday and accomplished that, so getting a scholarship is pretty cool."
A Foundation of Family Faith
Even though Spencer showed personal devotion during his rise to the top, he's quick to admit he couldn't have done it alone. His parents, Glenn and Nancy, have been equally dedicated in making his achievement an accomplishment for the whole White family.
"My parents have been awesome," Spencer said. "My dad has never missed a game as long as I can remember, and he's always talked to me through discouraging times. My mom has been the same way."
As parents of seven children, five of whom currently attend BYU, the Whites helped Spencer through school in his four non-scholarship years and deserve a substantial share of his success.
His mother's reaction to the news Spencer's reward? "We're grateful he finally got a scholarship," Nancy said with a heavy hint of well-deserved relief.
Now that Spencer stars in the secondary, his parents travel to all games to watch him play -- they even braved a November trip to Laramie. They said their son deserves their support because he has endured so much to reach his goals.
"I don't think a lot of people would have gone through what he has to get where he is today," Nancy said. "He just kept coming back and never quit."
Glenn said he has always wanted to boost Spencer's spirits when he was down, and he taught his son that good things would happen if he worked hard enough.
"Spencer has always been dedicated, and I've always tried to encourage him to believe in himself," Glenn said. "His will to just keep trying and developing has been a great example to me."
Education for Life
"Spencer is a great player because he thinks," Nancy said, suggesting that Spencer has his head on straight inside and outside his helmet.
The Whites instilled in their son a respect for education and love of learning, and Spencer has never let ballgames come before books. A fixture on the honor roll with a 3.9 GPA in high school, he was able to be admitted to BYU where he continued his excellence in the classroom.
"I've been taught my whole life that school is the most important," Spencer said. "My mom would always remind me to study and take care of school. It's a lot tougher in college with the time and demands of football, but I've been able to keep my grades up and do alright."
His 3.5 GPA in communications earned him Academic All-Mountain West Conference honors last year and indicates bright prospects for his future. If a professional football career doesn't work out for him, his ambition, brainpower and perseverance will likely take him wherever he wants to go. He is considering seeking a graduate degree in public administration, but he said he wants to see what options the NFL presents when the scouts come to watch in the winter.
"I'll definitely at least give it a shot," he said. "I don't want to go through life wondering what would have happened if I didn't."
Knowing what he's been through already, no one should be surprised to see him emerge from nowhere and succeed at higher levels of play. He walked through every obstacle as a walk-on, and his experience has charged him for any challenge.
"I think football and this process have taught me a lot of good lessons," Spencer said. "I think the diligence and pursuit of my dream, even when I wondered if it was worth it or not, will help me later in life."
SQUEAKY CLEAN
"Spencer, are you ready yet?"
Such a question has likely been posed many times by friends and family members alike when waiting for Spencer to join them.
In high school he developed a reputation for taking a long time to get ready to go places, sometimes taking three or four showers a day to make sure he looked presentable.
"It's not like I was a little pretty boy, primping myself to get ready," Spencer explained. "I was just slow and would take my time to look nice."
So nice that his friends in high school called him Squeaky Clean, a name that not only described his hygiene habits, but also suited his nice-guy image. The name stuck after his friends called a few times and found out he was in the shower ... again.
"As far as cleanliness, he likes to feel clean," his father, Glenn, said. "He took a long time to get ready; he's not the quickest person in the world that way."
Living in house with five sisters, you might think Spencer had to jockey for position in the bathroom and created a few lines. But his mom, Nancy, said her spic-and-span son never created problems in the home.
"Guys are still faster than girls, so nobody objected to that," she said.
Although he may have reduced his personal preparation time in college, Spencer still can't shed his clean-cut, boy-scout look. However, fans shouldn't be surprised to see that his uniform won't be squeaky clean after a day of bruising his opponents.
"I've always had that image of being a nice guy, but once you get on the field, you need to be mean to be successful," he said. "I don't think people are surprised when they see me on the field. They realize that there has to be a different phase of you when you play football."