LAURINBURG — Not many high school football players can say they’ve worked out with an NFL player, but for the Fighting Scots football team, they can now check that off the list.
During the Scots’ first summer workouts on Tuesday, NFL running back and Scotland High leading rusher Zamir White was in attendance.
A former five-star prospect at Scotland High from 2014-18, White rushed for 7,169 yards and 119 touchdowns during his tenure and holds the school record for rushing yards and touchdowns for both his career and a single season. He was a two-time Conference Player of the Year, 2016 Gatorade Player of the Year, 2017 NCPreps Player of the Year and Army All-American.
“I wanted to show love to the guys,” White said. “I miss the Friday night lights; Pate Stadium was the place to be. Those were some nights I will never forget, from the coaches to players and fans, they made my high school career special.”
White played collegiate football at the University of Georgia from 2019-21, where he rushed for 2,043 yards and 25 touchdowns, while winning a national championship in 2021. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft by the Las Vegas Raiders.
“It’s always nice to have the legend come out,” head coach Richard Bailey said. “Anytime you have an NFL running back speaking wisdom to you, you’re not going to get any better insight than from someone who’s been to the highest level.”
White also made remarks about Fighting Scots three-star running back Michael McLean and how toughness will go a long way.
“You hear a lot around town about Michael McLean,” White said. “He can catch, run the football, all of the big things. But today he showed me his toughness. His ability to pass protect. This means the world to me to see a back his size and willing to get dirty because it’s not all about touchdowns; you have to be able to protect your quarterback.”
McLean is the next up-and-coming running back to come out of Scotland High. He is the No. 1-ranked player in the state’s Class of 2029 with multiple Division I offers. The last player to be ranked No. 1 at Scotland High was White back in 2018.
“I want to get to Zamir White’s level,” McLean said. “He’s telling me what I have to do to be great, and I’m soaking it all in for me to rush for more yards.”
The Fighting Scots began their season opener on the road versus Asheboro on Aug. 21 at 7:30 p.m.
Leave a Reply