Kevin White on the sideline before a Mona Shores football game.
Photos credit: Eric Sturr
Photos credit: Eric Sturr
By Nate Thompson
LocalSportsJournal.com
It’s fitting the large light blue numbers on the jersey of Kevin White Jr. covers his heart when he’s in action for the Mona Shores varsity football team.
And there’s a distinct personal reason why White has chosen to wear the number 15 for the Sailors. It’s a reason that no child should have to ever endure, but at the same time, it’s shaped White into the person he is today.
White, a senior running back and linebacker, lost his mother, Lashandra Helms, when he was only 1 when she was killed by a drunk driver in Detroit. She was just 27 years old. And White’s father, Kevin White Sr., passed away in 2024 at the age of 42 from congestive heart failure.
“That’s the reason why I wear No. 15,” White explained. “I subtract my mom and dad’s ages when they passed away.”
That somewhat chilling detail of White’s life makes it even more remarkable at what he’s accomplishing today, both on and off the football field. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound White is arguably the best running back in the Muskegon area this fall and his rushing numbers certainly back that claim, forming a dynamic duo with junior quarterback Owen Terpstra for the once-defeated Sailors.
White’s blend of size and outstanding speed, especially in track, has caught the eyes of a handful of college coaches, especially at the summer Victors Veer Camp that Mona Shores players attended in late July at Montrose High School. The multi-day offensive camp is hosted by Ferris State University head coach Tony Annese. Annese, who led the Muskegon Big Reds to three state championships in 2004, 2006 and 2008, has turned Ferris into a Division II dynasty, capturing four titles under his watch, including last season’s perfect 16-0 campaign.
“He’s a legend,” said White of Annese.
That’s why White said he was floating on Cloud 9 when Annese approached him and offered him a scholarship to play for the Bulldogs.
“That camp was like six hours a day, and I was full-go,” White recalled. “I really felt like everyone could see my grit and my energy on display. I wasn’t slowing down.
“It was actually in the middle of the rep when the coaches called me over and Coach Annese was there. He was smiling at me and said he wanted to offer me a scholarship.”
White said he was so excited about the encounter, he sprinted over to his Sailors’ offensive linemen and celebrated. In the months that followed, White said he had great conversations with Annese and others on the Bulldogs staff, including offensive coordinator Steve Annese and run game coordinator Tyler Shreve.
“I like the relationships I had with all their staff,” White said. “They really put in an effort to get to know me and let me know how bad they wanted me.”
So without ever having visited the campus in Big Rapids, White committed to Ferris on Sept. 1. He said he also had strong interest from Davenport University as well.
“It was very emotional,” White said. “I remember that I broke down crying knowing that (my parents) weren’t there to see it. But I know they’re still watching over me.”
But luckily for White, a lady he now calls his second mom was there. Helms’ sister, Theresa Helms, adopted White after Lashandra passed away. She explained that she gained full custody of Kevin and his sister Lyric Foxx because his father endured some legal issues and was incarcerated for a period of time.
“We felt it was in the best interest of the children to have them stay with me,” Theresa Helms explained. “But Kevin always maintained a relationship with his dad. We would meet him halfway. He loved his dad to death.”
Although Kevin said he was a kid with full of energy, and sometimes out of control, when he was younger, Theresa said “he’s always been a good kid,” despite growing up in a household of all females, including his sister and cousins.
“KJ has been playing football since he’s been 4,” Theresa said. “I remember in sixth grade, he’s decided to go to Lakeside (Youth Football) and he’s been playing ever since. But at first, he wasn’t serious about it. I think he just wanted to go with the other boys and play around. So I told him, ‘My son is not getting out there being a clown.’ So the next day I told him, ‘If your coach moves, you better move along with him.’”
Kevin said his uncle, Deitrice Murdaugh, also played a big part in getting him involved in the sport, convincing him to start playing in the Port City Youth Football program.
“My cousin (Demetrius Murdaugh) started playing football the year before me, so I wanted to be like him,” Kevin said.
The two cousins played against each other last season, as Murdaugh was the starting defensive tackle for the Muskegon Big Reds.
“He got a couple tackles on me,” White said.
Today, Theresa admits she’s never been a huge fan of the sport, but she loves watching Kevin excel on the field.
“I tell people I only like to watch it because my son is out there,” she said. “I know it’s all love when I see him.”
Theresa not only stressed to Kevin at taking football seriously, but also academics.
“I always wanted him to play and he’s been very good in football and track,” she said. “But he knows he had to make the right decisions in life. There’s sports, but what’s after that?”
White took that message to heart, as he currently sports an impressive 3.3 grade-point-average, and has a career path in mind. He started taking welding technology classes through the Muskegon Career Tech Center, and said he’d like to eventually take that to a career in structural welding.
“Kevin is an awesome young man,” said Mona Shores head coach Matt Koziak. “I’m so proud of the way he’s matured in his four years in high school. Not only as a tremendous athlete, but he’s become that student in class that all the teachers want in their classrooms. And I think that says a lot more about him than how fast he can run or how many yards he had in a game.”
Despite the opening-game 35-27 setback to an outstanding Orchard Lake St. Mary’s team, White said he’s extremely excited about the potential of the Sailors this season. He said offensively, they’re back at running the veer offense at a high level, after they were stronger in the pass game a year ago. White also didn’t get as many carries as he’d like as a junior, as he backed up Tomarion Steward, who is now on the roster at Miami University in Ohio.
But White has shown how dangerous he can be as the Sailors’ feature back. In Week 3, he rushed 15 times for 265 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-14 victory over Windsor (ONT) St. Andrews.
“I consider myself a one-cut back, but teams need to stack the box because they can’t give me that crease,” he said. “If they don’t, you see what I can do.”
And see what the Sailors can do with the 1-2 punch of White and Terpstra.
“Owen, I love him. We mesh so well,” White added. “I feel we’re the best duo in the state. And our O-line, I’ve been with a lot of those guys since seventh grade. I trust those guys with everything I do on the field.”
With the offense clicking, White said the Sailors are intent on ending a streak of early exits out of the Division 2 playoffs. Since their last state championship in 2020, the Sailors have lost in either the district championship or pre-district round every season, including last year’s 39-34 setback to the rival Big Reds.
“We talk about that game a lot and bring up that 39-34 score,” White said. “But I feel we’re back to playing our brand of football this year. With (Coach Koziak), it’s a different level of love. I feel like he trusts us no matter the situation. He’ll call a play, but Owen can audible if he sees something that might work. That trust in us, it can go a long way.”
Trust, it seems, has played a big part in White’s life. They say it often takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a child to put their trust in others. White did that with his second mom and his second family at Mona Shores, and collectively, they’ve set him up for an extremely bright future.
“My coaches, Coach Koziak, both Matt and (assistant coach) Mike, and coach (Aaron) James before he left to coach Orchard View, they’ve always been there to talk to and help me through any problem. Knowing that I’ve always had someone to talk to, it’s been great.”
LocalSportsJournal.com
It’s fitting the large light blue numbers on the jersey of Kevin White Jr. covers his heart when he’s in action for the Mona Shores varsity football team.
And there’s a distinct personal reason why White has chosen to wear the number 15 for the Sailors. It’s a reason that no child should have to ever endure, but at the same time, it’s shaped White into the person he is today.
White, a senior running back and linebacker, lost his mother, Lashandra Helms, when he was only 1 when she was killed by a drunk driver in Detroit. She was just 27 years old. And White’s father, Kevin White Sr., passed away in 2024 at the age of 42 from congestive heart failure.
“That’s the reason why I wear No. 15,” White explained. “I subtract my mom and dad’s ages when they passed away.”
That somewhat chilling detail of White’s life makes it even more remarkable at what he’s accomplishing today, both on and off the football field. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound White is arguably the best running back in the Muskegon area this fall and his rushing numbers certainly back that claim, forming a dynamic duo with junior quarterback Owen Terpstra for the once-defeated Sailors.
White’s blend of size and outstanding speed, especially in track, has caught the eyes of a handful of college coaches, especially at the summer Victors Veer Camp that Mona Shores players attended in late July at Montrose High School. The multi-day offensive camp is hosted by Ferris State University head coach Tony Annese. Annese, who led the Muskegon Big Reds to three state championships in 2004, 2006 and 2008, has turned Ferris into a Division II dynasty, capturing four titles under his watch, including last season’s perfect 16-0 campaign.
“He’s a legend,” said White of Annese.
That’s why White said he was floating on Cloud 9 when Annese approached him and offered him a scholarship to play for the Bulldogs.
“That camp was like six hours a day, and I was full-go,” White recalled. “I really felt like everyone could see my grit and my energy on display. I wasn’t slowing down.
“It was actually in the middle of the rep when the coaches called me over and Coach Annese was there. He was smiling at me and said he wanted to offer me a scholarship.”
White said he was so excited about the encounter, he sprinted over to his Sailors’ offensive linemen and celebrated. In the months that followed, White said he had great conversations with Annese and others on the Bulldogs staff, including offensive coordinator Steve Annese and run game coordinator Tyler Shreve.
“I like the relationships I had with all their staff,” White said. “They really put in an effort to get to know me and let me know how bad they wanted me.”
So without ever having visited the campus in Big Rapids, White committed to Ferris on Sept. 1. He said he also had strong interest from Davenport University as well.
“It was very emotional,” White said. “I remember that I broke down crying knowing that (my parents) weren’t there to see it. But I know they’re still watching over me.”
But luckily for White, a lady he now calls his second mom was there. Helms’ sister, Theresa Helms, adopted White after Lashandra passed away. She explained that she gained full custody of Kevin and his sister Lyric Foxx because his father endured some legal issues and was incarcerated for a period of time.
“We felt it was in the best interest of the children to have them stay with me,” Theresa Helms explained. “But Kevin always maintained a relationship with his dad. We would meet him halfway. He loved his dad to death.”
Although Kevin said he was a kid with full of energy, and sometimes out of control, when he was younger, Theresa said “he’s always been a good kid,” despite growing up in a household of all females, including his sister and cousins.
“KJ has been playing football since he’s been 4,” Theresa said. “I remember in sixth grade, he’s decided to go to Lakeside (Youth Football) and he’s been playing ever since. But at first, he wasn’t serious about it. I think he just wanted to go with the other boys and play around. So I told him, ‘My son is not getting out there being a clown.’ So the next day I told him, ‘If your coach moves, you better move along with him.’”
Kevin said his uncle, Deitrice Murdaugh, also played a big part in getting him involved in the sport, convincing him to start playing in the Port City Youth Football program.
“My cousin (Demetrius Murdaugh) started playing football the year before me, so I wanted to be like him,” Kevin said.
The two cousins played against each other last season, as Murdaugh was the starting defensive tackle for the Muskegon Big Reds.
“He got a couple tackles on me,” White said.
Today, Theresa admits she’s never been a huge fan of the sport, but she loves watching Kevin excel on the field.
“I tell people I only like to watch it because my son is out there,” she said. “I know it’s all love when I see him.”
Theresa not only stressed to Kevin at taking football seriously, but also academics.
“I always wanted him to play and he’s been very good in football and track,” she said. “But he knows he had to make the right decisions in life. There’s sports, but what’s after that?”
White took that message to heart, as he currently sports an impressive 3.3 grade-point-average, and has a career path in mind. He started taking welding technology classes through the Muskegon Career Tech Center, and said he’d like to eventually take that to a career in structural welding.
“Kevin is an awesome young man,” said Mona Shores head coach Matt Koziak. “I’m so proud of the way he’s matured in his four years in high school. Not only as a tremendous athlete, but he’s become that student in class that all the teachers want in their classrooms. And I think that says a lot more about him than how fast he can run or how many yards he had in a game.”
Despite the opening-game 35-27 setback to an outstanding Orchard Lake St. Mary’s team, White said he’s extremely excited about the potential of the Sailors this season. He said offensively, they’re back at running the veer offense at a high level, after they were stronger in the pass game a year ago. White also didn’t get as many carries as he’d like as a junior, as he backed up Tomarion Steward, who is now on the roster at Miami University in Ohio.
But White has shown how dangerous he can be as the Sailors’ feature back. In Week 3, he rushed 15 times for 265 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-14 victory over Windsor (ONT) St. Andrews.
“I consider myself a one-cut back, but teams need to stack the box because they can’t give me that crease,” he said. “If they don’t, you see what I can do.”
And see what the Sailors can do with the 1-2 punch of White and Terpstra.
“Owen, I love him. We mesh so well,” White added. “I feel we’re the best duo in the state. And our O-line, I’ve been with a lot of those guys since seventh grade. I trust those guys with everything I do on the field.”
With the offense clicking, White said the Sailors are intent on ending a streak of early exits out of the Division 2 playoffs. Since their last state championship in 2020, the Sailors have lost in either the district championship or pre-district round every season, including last year’s 39-34 setback to the rival Big Reds.
“We talk about that game a lot and bring up that 39-34 score,” White said. “But I feel we’re back to playing our brand of football this year. With (Coach Koziak), it’s a different level of love. I feel like he trusts us no matter the situation. He’ll call a play, but Owen can audible if he sees something that might work. That trust in us, it can go a long way.”
Trust, it seems, has played a big part in White’s life. They say it often takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a child to put their trust in others. White did that with his second mom and his second family at Mona Shores, and collectively, they’ve set him up for an extremely bright future.
“My coaches, Coach Koziak, both Matt and (assistant coach) Mike, and coach (Aaron) James before he left to coach Orchard View, they’ve always been there to talk to and help me through any problem. Knowing that I’ve always had someone to talk to, it’s been great.”
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