Northwestern University Athletics
Two of a Kind: Traveon Henry & Dwight White
8/28/2015 11:00:00 AM | Football
By Austin Siegel
Less than a year after learning that a rare kidney condition meant he would never play football again, Dwight White walked into the weight room next to Ryan Field.
His Northwestern teammates were already there as part of a summer workout, maxing out on the bench press and comparing personal records. Even as they prepared for the upcoming season, players still found time for a little friendly competition. And White was up next.
His roommate, senior safety Traveon Henry, watched as White put 275 pounds on the bar. An undersized cornerback at just 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, White leaned back on the bench and grabbed the bar with both hands.
"A lot of guys hadn't seen him lift in a while and some may have doubted him. But one thing about Dwight is he's Texas strong," Henry said. "He got the pounds up like three or five times, and all the defensive backs just went crazy."
White may have retired from football in 2014, but he never left the Wildcats.
He's been at practice, mentoring young players and helping coaches analyze game film. He's worked with the NU athletic department to create graphic designs used on the team's official website. When assistant head coach, and defensive backs coach, Jerry Brown hosted a barbeque for his players over the summer, White enjoyed hot dogs and hamburgers with the rest of his teammates.
And this season, it will be impossible to forget the impact Dwight White has made at Northwestern.
Because Henry will be wearing his number.
"I just really wanted to show that I'm playing for him," Henry said. "I'm playing for a guy that has been here for me since day one. A guy that really played with the spirit of what a Wildcat should play like."
When Dwight White and Traveon Henry arrived in Evanston during the summer of 2012, they already had a few things in common.
Both of them came to Northwestern from the South, where White had starred as a cornerback at Cy-Fair High School in Cypress, Texas and Henry as a safety and running back at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. But with the Wildcats, both players would be expected to contribute in the defensive secondary.
It didn't take long for a bond to develop between the two freshmen.
"When we got here, [Traveon] had a lot of energy. Not only was he excited about the game of football, but just excited to start a whole new lifestyle," White said. "We've got similar interests and similar goals, so we were just friends right off the bat."
That friendship soon became evident on the practice field, where Brown took notice of the growing camaraderie between two of his young defensive backs.
"Sometimes, guys meet and they just mesh. That's one of those things that happened with Dwight and Traveon, and their relationship just continued to grow," Brown said.
During their time at Northwestern, both players have enjoyed some highlight-reel moments with the Wildcats.
Henry appeared in the 2013 Gator Bowl win over Mississippi State as a true freshman before being named a starter during his sophomore season. And after redshirting in 2012, White started six games himself as a redshirt freshman, turning in impressive performances against Ohio State and Nebraska.
Entering the 2014 season, both White and Henry were expected to help anchor Northwestern's secondary. But a few months before the season began, White went to the doctor with abdominal pain.
There wasn't anything unusual about the appointment, until a doctor asked White if he was aware he only had one kidney.
The rare condition, called renal agenesis, is found in roughly one in 750 people. While usually spotted when there's a health issue, the condition had not caused White any problems throughout his football career and it remained undetected throughout his whole life.
Despite the surprising news, White continued to prepare for the upcoming season.
"It hurts to just stand there and watch," White said. "Even when I was injured, I was trying to play."
But only a few days before the season opener against Cal, White was rushed to the hospital after being hit by a teammate during practice. Doctors found blood in his urine and diagnosed him with a bruised kidney.
White discussed his options with family members and the Northwestern coaching staff. It proved to be a difficult decision, because while White could still play physically, doing so would risk further medical problems down the road.
"He came and asked me what I thought, and I said 'I'll give you two answers. I'll give you my father answer and I'll give you my coach answer," Brown said. "And both answers were 'I don't think you should play.'"
A few weeks later, White announced his decision to retire from football.
White's retirement did not come at an easy time for Northwestern. After falling against Nebraska on Oct. 18, the Wildcats faced a bye week with nothing to distract them from the sudden departure of their teammate.
"I had a conversation with [junior cornerback] Mattthew Harris and we were just talking about how could we honor our fallen brother. Since his number's not going to be worn, somebody could possibly wear it," Henry said.
Henry decided to wear White's No. 2 jersey that weekend, for a matchup with Iowa Hawkeyes on Nov. 1. He collected a career-high 14 tackles in one of the most impressive performances of his college career. But on that afternoon, White was back in Evanston watching the game with friends.
Henry had not told him about the jersey.
"It was tough enough not being able to travel, and I definitely wasn't going to take spots away from people," White said. "But to see my best friend come out of the tunnel or see him make a play and hear 'Traveon Henry, wearing No. 2 today for Dwight White,' I definitely got emotional."
Henry was aware of how much significance a jersey number can hold. During his first three seasons at Northwestern, with the exception of that Saturday in Iowa City, he wore No. 10 to recognize his older brother, Travis, who played football at Yale. Now, Henry wanted to honor White in a similar way.
"A number is very significant to people. Once we come in, we take ownership over that number. Everything that we do is labeled with that number and, since I'm here, I didn't want anybody else to wear [No. 2]," Henry said. "Because that number would be on the field if he was able to play."
This season, Henry will wear the No. 2 jersey during every Northwestern game, a season-long tribute to a player who's inspired him both on and off the field
"It touched me on another level because Traveon and I are so close," White said. "I kind of lost a big part of my life, and for him to recognize that by taking me out on the field with him when I couldn't be there, it's one of the most touching things I've ever experienced."
This season, White is working to become a fixture at practice and someone who younger players can count on to provide valuable insight about the game. He said his goal is to be around the football program as much as possible, even if he's not playing.
But at least once this offseason, White has been the only one there.
"I wasn't aware they weren't back yet from Kenosha," White said. "So I showed up and the guys weren't there. But I'm definitely going to try and be out there as much as possible this season."
White's commitment to Northwestern football extends beyond the field. A talented artist, he specializes in both painting and graphic design, a skill he's used to create game day images for the football team.
"He has a studio down in our basement. It's pretty cool to see how everything has come together for him," Henry said. "He'll be up from like 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. finishing up projects. It's really kind of just taken over that role that football played."
White recently started his own business called Top Off Designs, where he sells paintings he's created that include both abstract images and portraits ranging from Chance the Rapper to Muhammad Ali.
Though his talent for art has little to do with football, Henry said that White's ability to find something he's passionate about outside the game has inspired his teammates and given them hope for a successful life after football.
"He found a niche in art. He's a very artistic dude and he discovered this talent because of what happened," Henry said. "Guys respect what he does outside [football]. They're like 'Maybe I can find something else, or find other passions.' They realize that they're multifaceted individuals."
••••••
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Less than a year after learning that a rare kidney condition meant he would never play football again, Dwight White walked into the weight room next to Ryan Field.
His Northwestern teammates were already there as part of a summer workout, maxing out on the bench press and comparing personal records. Even as they prepared for the upcoming season, players still found time for a little friendly competition. And White was up next.
His roommate, senior safety Traveon Henry, watched as White put 275 pounds on the bar. An undersized cornerback at just 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, White leaned back on the bench and grabbed the bar with both hands.
"A lot of guys hadn't seen him lift in a while and some may have doubted him. But one thing about Dwight is he's Texas strong," Henry said. "He got the pounds up like three or five times, and all the defensive backs just went crazy."
White may have retired from football in 2014, but he never left the Wildcats.
He's been at practice, mentoring young players and helping coaches analyze game film. He's worked with the NU athletic department to create graphic designs used on the team's official website. When assistant head coach, and defensive backs coach, Jerry Brown hosted a barbeque for his players over the summer, White enjoyed hot dogs and hamburgers with the rest of his teammates.
And this season, it will be impossible to forget the impact Dwight White has made at Northwestern.
Because Henry will be wearing his number.
"I just really wanted to show that I'm playing for him," Henry said. "I'm playing for a guy that has been here for me since day one. A guy that really played with the spirit of what a Wildcat should play like."
When Dwight White and Traveon Henry arrived in Evanston during the summer of 2012, they already had a few things in common.
Both of them came to Northwestern from the South, where White had starred as a cornerback at Cy-Fair High School in Cypress, Texas and Henry as a safety and running back at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. But with the Wildcats, both players would be expected to contribute in the defensive secondary.
It didn't take long for a bond to develop between the two freshmen.
"When we got here, [Traveon] had a lot of energy. Not only was he excited about the game of football, but just excited to start a whole new lifestyle," White said. "We've got similar interests and similar goals, so we were just friends right off the bat."
That friendship soon became evident on the practice field, where Brown took notice of the growing camaraderie between two of his young defensive backs.
"Sometimes, guys meet and they just mesh. That's one of those things that happened with Dwight and Traveon, and their relationship just continued to grow," Brown said.
During their time at Northwestern, both players have enjoyed some highlight-reel moments with the Wildcats.
Henry appeared in the 2013 Gator Bowl win over Mississippi State as a true freshman before being named a starter during his sophomore season. And after redshirting in 2012, White started six games himself as a redshirt freshman, turning in impressive performances against Ohio State and Nebraska.
Entering the 2014 season, both White and Henry were expected to help anchor Northwestern's secondary. But a few months before the season began, White went to the doctor with abdominal pain.
There wasn't anything unusual about the appointment, until a doctor asked White if he was aware he only had one kidney.
The rare condition, called renal agenesis, is found in roughly one in 750 people. While usually spotted when there's a health issue, the condition had not caused White any problems throughout his football career and it remained undetected throughout his whole life.
Despite the surprising news, White continued to prepare for the upcoming season.
"It hurts to just stand there and watch," White said. "Even when I was injured, I was trying to play."
But only a few days before the season opener against Cal, White was rushed to the hospital after being hit by a teammate during practice. Doctors found blood in his urine and diagnosed him with a bruised kidney.
White discussed his options with family members and the Northwestern coaching staff. It proved to be a difficult decision, because while White could still play physically, doing so would risk further medical problems down the road.
"He came and asked me what I thought, and I said 'I'll give you two answers. I'll give you my father answer and I'll give you my coach answer," Brown said. "And both answers were 'I don't think you should play.'"
A few weeks later, White announced his decision to retire from football.
White's retirement did not come at an easy time for Northwestern. After falling against Nebraska on Oct. 18, the Wildcats faced a bye week with nothing to distract them from the sudden departure of their teammate.
"I had a conversation with [junior cornerback] Mattthew Harris and we were just talking about how could we honor our fallen brother. Since his number's not going to be worn, somebody could possibly wear it," Henry said.
Henry decided to wear White's No. 2 jersey that weekend, for a matchup with Iowa Hawkeyes on Nov. 1. He collected a career-high 14 tackles in one of the most impressive performances of his college career. But on that afternoon, White was back in Evanston watching the game with friends.
Henry had not told him about the jersey.
"It was tough enough not being able to travel, and I definitely wasn't going to take spots away from people," White said. "But to see my best friend come out of the tunnel or see him make a play and hear 'Traveon Henry, wearing No. 2 today for Dwight White,' I definitely got emotional."
Henry was aware of how much significance a jersey number can hold. During his first three seasons at Northwestern, with the exception of that Saturday in Iowa City, he wore No. 10 to recognize his older brother, Travis, who played football at Yale. Now, Henry wanted to honor White in a similar way.
"A number is very significant to people. Once we come in, we take ownership over that number. Everything that we do is labeled with that number and, since I'm here, I didn't want anybody else to wear [No. 2]," Henry said. "Because that number would be on the field if he was able to play."
This season, Henry will wear the No. 2 jersey during every Northwestern game, a season-long tribute to a player who's inspired him both on and off the field
"It touched me on another level because Traveon and I are so close," White said. "I kind of lost a big part of my life, and for him to recognize that by taking me out on the field with him when I couldn't be there, it's one of the most touching things I've ever experienced."
This season, White is working to become a fixture at practice and someone who younger players can count on to provide valuable insight about the game. He said his goal is to be around the football program as much as possible, even if he's not playing.
But at least once this offseason, White has been the only one there.
"I wasn't aware they weren't back yet from Kenosha," White said. "So I showed up and the guys weren't there. But I'm definitely going to try and be out there as much as possible this season."
White's commitment to Northwestern football extends beyond the field. A talented artist, he specializes in both painting and graphic design, a skill he's used to create game day images for the football team.
"He has a studio down in our basement. It's pretty cool to see how everything has come together for him," Henry said. "He'll be up from like 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. finishing up projects. It's really kind of just taken over that role that football played."
White recently started his own business called Top Off Designs, where he sells paintings he's created that include both abstract images and portraits ranging from Chance the Rapper to Muhammad Ali.
Though his talent for art has little to do with football, Henry said that White's ability to find something he's passionate about outside the game has inspired his teammates and given them hope for a successful life after football.
"He found a niche in art. He's a very artistic dude and he discovered this talent because of what happened," Henry said. "Guys respect what he does outside [football]. They're like 'Maybe I can find something else, or find other passions.' They realize that they're multifaceted individuals."
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook and check us out on Instagram. For more information on following specific Northwestern teams online, visit our Social Media page!
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