White Working to Change Lives

AMES, Iowa – Lorenzo White learned a lot at Iowa State, some of it on the field, much of it off the field. White started for the Cyclone football team on the offensive line as part of an Iowa State football resurgence. He started in the Insight.com Bowl in 2000 and the Independence Bowl in 2001. Now he is a guidance counselor at Woodward Academy, where he helps young men establish a solid future off the field while working with them to enjoy the game he loves on the field.

Woodward Academy, a non-profit organization that was established in 1995, is a residential treatment facility for male youth. On its web site it says that “Woodward Academy is a boarding school located in Woodward, Iowa, 25 miles northwest of Des Moines. Woodward Academy's programs are aimed at redirecting delinquent, negative behaviors to positive, socially acceptable patterns.”

“Woodward Academy is a juvenile delinquent treatment facility for kids from ages 13 to 18,” White said. “A lot of the kids made poor choices. We have counseling and I was there for a year before moving up to being a supervisor. Now I'm in charge of developing a treatment plan for each student and I also coach football.”

The Richmond, Texas native was an all-district lineman at Lamar Consolidated High School. He then earned second-team all-conference honors at Blinn (Texas) Junior College. White was recruited to Iowa State by then offensive line coach and offensive coordinator Pete Hoener. There was an adjustment. White tipped the scales at 360 pounds upon his Ames arrival and had to get himself physically acclimated to NCAA Division I-A football.

“The biggest challenge was strength,” White said. “I thought because I was in junior college for two years I was fast enough, but most of the D-1 athletes had four years to build up and at least two years on me in weight training. I was two years behind strength wise. Everyone was just as strong as I was.”

But White was a worker and it soon became apparent he had the skills to be a Big 12 Conference starter. Originally ticketed for a 2000 redshirt, White worked his way into a starting spot at right guard for head coach Dan McCarney, despite not arriving until fall camp. He played at 340 pounds on a 6-5 frame. White didn't know it yet but he was going to be a part of something big. Iowa State, which hadn't played in a bowl game in 22 years fashioned an 8-3 regular season record, earning an Insight.com Bowl berth against Pittsburgh in Phoenix, Ariz.

“At the time we didn't know the history about it,” White said. “When the opportunity presented itself for us to be the first team to win a bowl game ever it became a big deal. It was pretty big to be able to say that and to have that on our record.”

The Cyclones were led by quarterback Sage Rosenfels and tailback Ennis Haywood. Rosenfels still toils in the NFL, for the New York Giants. Haywood achieved his dream of becoming a member of the Dallas Cowboys, but died tragically after playing just one season.”

“Playing for Sage was eye opening for me,” White said. “He was the senior and I was the first- year junior. It was his team and I wanted to be that leader just like him. He was always calm, always collected. He was a true leader and for it to be my first year at a D-1 school it was good to have him there as my quarterback. Ennis was my boy. I really couldn't describe him in one word. He was a good guy, quiet, hard working, family-oriented. He's was great person to be around.”

The Cyclones enjoyed every bit of their bowl trip; especially a 37-28 win over Pittsburgh. It was the the school's' first-ever bowl victory as Iowa State ended the season with a 9-3 record. The nine wins equaled the school record, set in 1906.

“It was fun getting to stay together and hang out together,” White said. “The practices were hard because we knew we were down there for business to win but we also had a little fun time too. We went to a Phoenix Suns game and all of that type of stuff. The family atmosphere was really fun too with the team in another location.”

The following year, the tables were turned for White, who started at right tackle.

“I think the roles changed a little bit,” White said. “It was Seneca's first year and I was the veteran offensive lineman. So I would look to him and say 'I'll give you time.' It was different. Seneca was more mobile and he gave you a little bit more time with his legs.”

With Wallace dancing all over the field and a stout Cyclone defense, Iowa State went 7-5 and played Alabama in the 2001 Independence Bowl.

“I always look back and think that the only thing I would have changed is I wish I could have had four years at Iowa State,” White said. “I love the atmosphere and I think the fans are unique. I've never experienced fans like I did at Iowa State. They are so proud of their team and school. It was just a great atmosphere.”

Having earned his degree, White took his shot at playing in the National Football League. There were ups and downs over the next two years before the diagnosis of an irregular heartbeat clarified his priorities.

“I got a call from the Minnesota Vikings and went up there during 2002 mini camp,” White said. “I got released so at that point I figured maybe it's not cut out for me to play in the NFL. That's when I started working at Woodward Academy. Two weeks later I got a call from Minnesota saying to come back and I was there for the entire season of 2002. At the end of the season they diagnosed me with an irregular heart rhythm. I think after that I realized that I didn't want to take a chance with my health issues that and I should find another career.”

For White it was back to Woodward.

“I came back to Woodward Academy because they always said they were going to start a football program. Last fall was our first year of football. I was the offensive coordinator.”

White has no illusions about the pro game.

“It is a business,” White said. “In college you have your coach pushing you to be better and trying to help you get better. In the NFL, they are paying you to be good and you better be good or they will find someone else.”

At Woodward, football has an entirely different role. It may not be the NFL, but coaching at Woodward comes with its own unique challenges.

“The biggest thing about our facility is that our kids most of the time stay for a year at the longest,” White said. “In most high schools you have the students for four years. We have to start from scratch every year. Some of our students are very gifted athletically, but they have no idea how to play sports. They've never been part of a team. You try to make them realize they can't survive by themselves and that they need their football family, which is us.”

Students at Woodward are on-campus schooling from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. School is year-round to help the students catch up on credits. The afternoons include life-skills classes. There are typically 30 students to a dorm.

“We try to be a family to our students,” White said. “We are going to help them as if they were our sons. The hard part is that sometimes the kids resist the help. I can see that they have so much potential. It's hard work to motivate them. It's more than football, it's everyday things. But we are all a team and our staff has the camaraderie of a football coaching staff.”

Woodward starts its second season of football this fall. The wins off the field will be bigger than the wins on the field. But Iowa State University and Iowa State football in particular still resonate today as White works to bridge the gap and change young lives for the better.

Iowa State University Athletics

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