J. EDMUND BARNES

PHOTO: St. John the Baptist Parish sheriff’s deputy Brian White is a proud member of the Louisiana Hurricanes football team. (Staff Photo by J. Edmund Barnes) LAPLACE – Brian White is a deputy for the St. John the Baptist Sheriff’s Office. He is a big guy with the sort of build one would expect from a defensive lineman. Then again, that assumption would be correct because White plays on the defensive line for the Louisiana Hurricanes. As a part of that line, he has become part of the stingiest defense in the North American Football League. White has been played football since he attended Eastside High School in Akron, Ohio. In college he played a single year for Akron University before he enlisted in the U.S. Army. Brian spent 11 years with the Army, serving as a foot soldier with the 5th Infantry Division. He saw action during Operation Just Cause, the United States’ effort to capture Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, and spent time patrolling the borders of Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Fox. Recently, White opened up an old yearbook and thumbed through it. Inside he came across a list of goals he set himself back while in high school. In that list of goals were two that struck him a worthy of pursuing: to be a professional artist and to play professional football. White has played football with three minor league teams. He started with the Baton Rouge Red Wings, then played for the Kenner City Chiefs. Now he plays for the Louisiana Hurricanes under Head Coach Joe Riley. He arrived in St. John Parish in an unusual way – riding a Greyhound bus on his way to visit his son in Gramercy, he stopped in LaPlace and decided to go to Delchamps. There he met his wife Veronica Anderson. He has been here ever since. White decided to pursue professional football “as a change of pace.” He decided to pursue police work after the military. White said he wanted to help people. “I wanted to be part of the community. So I became a public servant. I also enjoy being able to help people out,” he said. White left the Kenner City Chiefs due to organizational issue; namely the fact the Hurricanes had more organization than the Chiefs. “I went to the Hurricanes because the team was more organized and I probably would have a better chance to get to the next level. (The Hurricanes) are better organized and have better coaching,” said White. White said he grew to love football as a little kid. “All I wanted to do was to play pro ball. Even if I don’t get to the next level, I have something to answer to,” he said. White said the best part about being a sheriff’s deputy is people look forward to seeing you all the time. “I’m there for the victims. I want to be like an avenging angel,” he said. White wants to be part of the team’s success, and to help them get to the championship game in Minnesota. “A few times I wanted to give up. There are some hard hitters (on the Hurricanes). I hung in there because they’ve got great spirit. I want to be part of something,” he said. White said there are many parallels to being a part of a football team and being a member of a military unit. “The unit I served with was like family. You have to depend on each other, just like in football. Football is like a battlefield. Teamwork is the key,” he said. Despite all his hard work and commitment, White acknowledges the fact major league teams might not have much interest in him. “I figure that at the age of 31 the professional football leagues would not have interest (in me),” he said. But he keeps playing and pursuing his goal. The Louisiana Hurricanes next play at West St. John Stadium tonight at 7 p.m.