On the same Rufus King International High School football field where the star quarterback finished his senior season with 1,345 yards and 26 touchdowns, Nate White was honored July 2 with a balloon release.
White, a 20-year-old former University of Wisconsin football player and Rufus King graduate died June 25 at his apartment in Brookings, South Dakota, where he was a student-athlete at South Dakota State. He transferred schools in January after two years with the Badgers.
White’s roommate called 911 at around 6:44 a.m. to report that White wasn’t breathing and was unresponsive in his bed, according to a police news release.
Hundreds of family members, friends, former coaches and teammates, teachers and community members gathered at Rufus King to remember White’s life and share memories with one another. Some laughed and some cried as they recalled their favorite moments with White.
Theo Carney, running backs coach at Rufus King, addressed the crowd and presented White’s parents with a football helmet signed by the team. Carney described White as being like a son to him, and said his death still doesn’t seem real.
Nate’s older brother, Tyler White, told the crowd that Nate was quiet, but moments where he opened up were special.
“Take this moment and look around at all the loved ones, all your friends and family, everybody here in the community,” Tyler said. “Just take that with us as we keep going.”
After remarks and a group prayer, attendees gathered blue, gold and pink balloons. On the count of three, the crowd yelled, “We love you, Nate,” and released their balloons high into the vibrant summer sky.
Louise Young-Benson, White’s great-aunt, shared a story of how she used to take care of White when she was a baby because his mom was dealing with health problems. She called him the “community baby” because of how many people pitched in to care for him.
“He had so much love around him,” Young-Benson said.
Young-Benson said she doesn’t like football but came out to White’s games at Rufus King. She said his family was planning to attend his games in South Dakota, too, despite the distance.
Now, Young-Benson said, the family has to take things one step at a time after what feels like being hit with a reality check.
Tevin Matthew said he and White were the closest of cousins, constantly spending nights together as kids and making YouTube videos.
Being two years apart in age, Matthew and White went to elementary and high school with one another, and they competed in football and track and field together.
“We grew up together, pretty much did everything together,” Matthew said.
Matthew said he was able to talk to White the day before he died.
Anthony Whorten, another one of White’s older cousins, took a long pause before he was able to speak about his favorite memories with White. He recalled watching White play basketball in middle school, and said his favorite thing was watching his little cousin grow up.
A number of friends and former teammates said they had too many memories with White to pick a favorite.
Tom Wozniak, head football coach at Rufus King, spent four years coaching White. He said his favorite memory was helping White through the recruitment process and seeing him get positive attention from different schools.
Wozniak described White as a good student and a stand-up individual. He said he’s torn up for White’s family.
“He was just such a special kid, very quiet, not what you might expect out of a kid that was that talented,” Wozniak said. “He was definitely special on the football field, but he was special off the field as well.”
An autopsy is being conducted in Brookings to determine how White died.
Contact Mia Thurow at mthurow@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: ‘He had so much love around him’: Family and friends remember ex-Badger Nate White
Reporting by Mia Thurow, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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