May 12, 2024

Tim White Overcame Hardships, Family Tragedy On The Way To CFL Stardom

Superstar receiver joined Steve Milton on Ticats Today covering a variety of topics

Free agency is always a mid-winter chill, fraught with concern for fans of every CFL team as they try to guess –and often advise management via social media– who can be lured to town to improve the team. But they’re equally concerned about who might exercise free agency and head elsewhere. And that’s where avid Hamilton fans found themselves for a couple of weeks until Tim White, who was a free agent, re-signed with the team on February 20. That whoosh of wind you might have felt in the city on Feb. 20?  It was the relieved Ticats Nation, all exhaling at once.

After the Ticats left the field from a conditioning practice at McMaster’s Ron Joyce Stadium on Sunday we spent time with White, who is entering his fourth season with the Ticats, all three previous ones as an Eastern all-star the last two as all-CFL. We discussed White’s consistency, and increased comfort level—he has delivered back-to-back 1200-yard seasons, but needed 19 fewer catches to do it last year—and how much his track and field career has helped his athletic timing, his outsized vertical leap and, particularly, his hang time. All of those have contributed to his sudden impact in the CFL.

White also shared something much more personal and sensitive, forthrightly describing the hardships he and his family endured during  many years of his childhood—including homelessness and living in the family vehicles–a tragic death in the family, and how in the face of all that, with parental support he manages to continue to be such a smiling, warm, positive person.

You can view and hear the full interview here.

CATS CLAUSES: There were a couple of big developments in Ticat camp Sunday. One was Ted Laurent’s announcement that he has retired, after nine seasons (a 10th was cancelled by the pandemic) with the Ticats and three before that with Edmonton. You can find the announcement HERE and a column on his remarkable career HERE … additionally, Ticats.ca has a short interview with sophomore quarterback Taylor Powell who was rewarded Sunday with a contract extension after his commendable debut pro season last year … and in head coach Scott Milanovich’s daily media meeting  he reiterated that Bo Levi Mitchell, who’s been in a walking boot, would be on the field with the rest of the quarterbacks when the Ticats have their first full practice (8:30 a.m.) Monday at McMaster.