Brotherly love, mentorship benefit Ohio cornerback

by Matt Bixenstine
Staff Writer

Anyone with an older brother knows firsthand the sibling rivalry that can exist, particularly in athletics. The White brothers, Donnie and Ohio cornerback Bop, are no exception.

But to them, the rivalry took the form of brotherly love that benefited both in college football.

“We were very competitive with each other, I mean everything we did,” said Donnie, Ohio cornerback from 1997-2000. “It definitely made us both better.”

In Bop’s case, the improvement translated into a career as a four-year starter who has led Ohio in interceptions each of his first three seasons.

After recording three interceptions in the first three games of his senior 2002 season — including one against Florida’s Heisman Trophy candidate Rex Grossman — Bop has literally picked up where he left off.

“Donnie will get mad, but I think Bop has more ability than him,” Ohio defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter said. “He’s a sharp player with innate ability. Being in the right place at the right time is a function of understanding the game and having the talent to put yourself in a position to make plays.”

With 14 career interceptions and nine college games remaining, Bop has a shot at the Ohio interception record of 18, held by Joe Callan, who played from 1975-1979.

“He obviously has the ability to break the record, if teams keep throwing the ball his way,” DeRuyter said.

Ohio safety Joe Sellers, having watched Bop for more than three seasons, expressed even greater confidence in him topping the mark.

“I can almost assure you he’s going to get it or at least tie the record,” Sellers said.

While Bop concedes intercepting Grossman will be memorable, he said his favorite pick came as a freshman against Marshall’s Chad Pennington, who now plays backup quarterback for the New York Jets.

Bop credits Donnie’s influence for his freshman success.

“It was always special playing with (Donnie),” Bop said. “A big part of me playing as a freshman was because of what he taught me.”

Donnie, who resides in Cincinnati, has fond memories of his two seasons sharing Ohio’s secondary with his brother.

“I just remember one time against Western Michigan he was playing corner and I was playing safety,” Donnie said. “We were talking to each other the whole time and we both ended up with interceptions.”

Though Bop remains “down-to-earth” regarding his NFL prospects, an opportunity to play professionally is certainly not out of the question for a cornerback who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds.

“He’s a guy who’s going to have a chance,” DeRuyter said. “We’ve had a lot of NFL guys look at him. He needs to work hard in the weight room, but he has a chance.”

But even if Bop’s NFL dreams pan out, neither White brother will ever forget playing together for the Bobcats.

“The most memorable thing about playing at Ohio when I look back was us playing together,” Donnie said. “To see him get better and see the things he could do as a player, it always amazed me.”