Josh "Zeus" White played at Cal after starring at Farrington
(Update: Adds more social media responses.)
The news on Tuesday morning on social media was not believable at first: former Farrington and Cal running back Josh "Zeus" White had died.
White, 43, had moved back to Hawaii with his family in recent years after living in Texas for many years. His oldest son, Josh, played offensive line at Saint Louis. The sad news spread quickly in the football community.
"He touched a lot of lives," said his brother-in-law, former Hawaii player Moe Roe said on Wednesday.
White is survived by his wife, Ginger, four children and three grandchildren.
Former Farrington running back and head coach Randall Okimoto preceded White by a few years.
"That is so, so young. The last time I saw him was in our (OIA) championship game in 2016. He came on the field and was on our sideline. He just wanted to help and be encouraging. Wow, that was so unexpected. He was playing Arena Football. He was there, supporting the Govs," Okimoto recalled.
White, like Okimoto, played under then-head coach, the late, great Skippa Diaz.
"I was at UH by then (1995). Man, when I saw Zeus and Talbert Kahakai in the backfield, those two guys, wow! Talk about a 1-2 punch. It was kind of like how we had Abraham Silva and Tyler Taumua. Talbert and Zeus were bruising. Power and speed. It was awesome to watch," Okimoto said on Wednesday morning.
He began high school at Radford, but when his father was transferred to North Carolina, White finished his prep career at Farrington, where he was an All-State selection in 1994.
At Snow College, the 6-foot, 275-pound playmaker rushed for 619 yards and nine TDs as the Badgers went 10-1 and won the Western States League. He also caught 33 passes for 352 yards.
In '97, he transferred to Cal and finished with 339 yards and five TDs. White played pro football with the Hawaiian Islanders, then went to the New York Dragons the following year (2003). In '07, he earned All-Arena second-team honors.
The news of his passing continues to stun fans and friends. By Tuesday evening, hundreds of responses flooded Facebook. All were in shock. His nephews, Bulla Vienna, Drew Vienna and Maximillian Roe, found the words difficult to express. They, along with Moe Roe, former UH and Pearl City multi-sport standout David Hallums and former Saint Louis standout Anthony Arceneaux, were kind enough to allow their posts to be shared here.
Updates will be posted through the coming days. Rest in Love, Josh "Zeus" White 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Wednesday, June 10
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