KC's homecoming gives Rachaad White a “surreal” experience in the MNF duel between Bucs and Chiefs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night, a small section of the stands will be rooting for a hometown kid. Now in his third NFL season, Buccaneers running back Rachaad White will make his first appearance at Arrowhead Stadium, a new experience for the Kansas City, Missouri native.

White, a Center High School product, took an unusual path to the NFL. He was recruited out of high school and was a 0-star recruit according to the 247 Sports consensus rating for the 2017 class.

For the Yellow Jackets, White was the team's best running back And best wide receiver. As a senior in 2017, he surpassed 2,000 yards on offense, earning him a spot on the Class 3 first-team all-state selection, but there were no Division I college offers to choose from.

As a result, his college career began at Division II Nebraska Kearney.

“You just have to figure out what you’re passionate about,” White said. “For me it was football.”

White's passion for football manifested itself in frustration when he didn't play in his first year in Division II. He redshirted and then decided to transfer to Mt. San Antonio College, a junior college about 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.

READ ALSO: The Bucs travel to KC looking to spoil the Chiefs' quest for a franchise-record 14th straight win on Monday night

When White left Mt. San Antonio, he was the third-ranked transfer running back in junior college. A move away from UCLA led him to Arizona State, where a freshman class with several four-star running backs largely overshadowed his arrival in Tempe, Arizona. But when games began in a COVID-shortened 2020 season to four games, White averaged 10.0 yards per carry for ASU, alerting NFL teams to his abilities.

As a redshirt junior in 2021, White rushed for over 1,000 yards with the Sun Devils and also had more than 450 receiving yards, adding 16 touchdowns in 11 games to land as a third-round pick of the Buccaneers in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Now White returns to Kansas City to play a football game in a stadium he never got to visit as a child. As one of four boys raised by a single mother, White never had the opportunity to see former Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles play in person.

“It's very exciting, I've never been to Arrowhead Stadium before,” White said in a video call with KCTV5 on Saturday. “I grew up, was born and raised in Kansas City, but I’ve never been to a game. I've never met a Kansas City Chiefs player, so it just seems surreal to me. I remember my brothers coming home from Tony Gonzalez soccer camps and I was just too young for it.”

On Monday night, when the undefeated Chiefs take on the Buccaneers, White will start his 42nd NFL game of his career. He will do so less than 10 miles from the home where he grew up.

“It’s a surreal moment for me to come home and be able to experience that,” said the 25-year-old. “It really hasn’t hit me yet. All I know is that entering the stadium and exiting the tunnel will affect me.”

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White can recall from memory Jamaal Charles' 5-touchdown performance against the Raiders. It was Charles' game that served as inspiration for White's desire to become a playmaker as a child.

“You play tackle football with your siblings and all I really knew was running back,” said White, who had over 1,500 yards of total offense in 2023 and also scored nine touchdowns for the Buccaneers. “The only thing I wanted to do was catch the ball and make people miss the ball or give me the ball and make people miss the ball.”

When the Buccaneers arrived in Kansas City on Sunday afternoon, White met with Mayor Quinton Lucas to talk about growing up in Kansas City, White's support of local YMCAs and his support of local youth organizations.

Too young to attend youth camps with growing Chiefs stars with his brothers, White is now the one hosting the events. In June, he held his first youth football camp at Center High School, inviting children in first through eighth grade to learn from him.

“I love the city a lot,” White said of his hometown. “I'm trying to build a lot of things and come back and give back as much as I can. Of course I play in Tampa now, but (Kansas City) will always have the biggest impact and hold the most special place in my heart.”

On the latest edition of Monday Night Football, White said he hopes to put on a show for the Kansas City crowd.

“It’s going to be a lot,” White said Monday night about his support department at Arrowhead. “I'm just blessed and grateful that those who haven't had the opportunity to see me play in person – which is a lot – will be able to see me play in person at the highest level.”

“It's a huge chance and opportunity for me to go out and have fun, play and play ball. I’m looking forward to that in front of a lot of Kansas City people out there.”

READ ALSO: The Chiefs are preparing to play the Buccaneers in Kansas City

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