A Young Player Who's Going Places

Recruited heavily by ACC schools, he chose Wake Forest and, by his sophomore season in 2001, was among the nation's top attackers. His 15 goals led the conference, a first by a Demon Deacon in 18 years. Injuries limited him to seven starts as a junior, but he still managed 11 goals. He added eight strikes his final season and was named ACC player of the year on a squad that eventually sent seven players to MLS.

White could have joined them, but intent on pursuing his European ambitions, he skipped the MLS scouting combine. A possible first-round pick, he slid to the third round of the 2004 draft before being selected by New England.

"It was his dream to play overseas," Wake Forest Coach Jay Vidovich said, "and he went after it."

Tryouts were arranged in Spain, Denmark and Belgium, but did not yield a contract. His best option was OFK Beograd, a club in Belgrade. "My dad wanted me to work for him," White said. "I told him, 'No.' He came to Belgrade to see if I was okay. He teased me and said, 'If you're going to go for it, go for it.' "

White did not last long. He walked into a visiting stadium before one match and was greeted with racial epithets, a barrage that continued throughout the game. "I stopped and looked up, but kept playing," he remembered. "It shows how empty they are. I felt alone, but what can you do?"

The incident that gained the most attention occurred on the streets, when about two dozen rowdy teenagers approached him and his friends. They fought off the chief instigator and fled. "We had to get out of there, it was a bad scene," he said. Local media reports about the incident were picked up by British and Italian news services and suddenly White was well known for all the wrong reasons.

He left Belgrade soon after, though he insists it was not because of the racial friction. Rather, he said, contract problems and the possibility of being sold to a Russian or Ukrainian club prompted him to find a new team. He spent a season apiece with Panserraikos in Greece and Gueugnon in France, scoring 21 goals in 46 matches.

His representatives at National Sports Group approached three MLS clubs, but White had not given up on succeeding in Europe and by signing with Aarhus he earns an estimated 2 1/2 times more than he would have in MLS.

"He had a little bit of difficulty in the beginning, but he has adapted to our style," said Brian Steen Nielsen, a former Danish national team midfielder and now Aarhus's technical director. "He is on the right course. He knows what it takes and he has that mentality to succeed."

White has not scored goals at his regular pace, but has applied his speed on the flanks to augment the attack. His contract does not expire for another two-plus years, but in the tradition of European feeder clubs, Nielsen said that, if White continues to progress, Aarhus would look to sell him to a bigger team.

Away from the pitch, White enjoys living near the shoreline in Aarhus -- a Danish port city second to Copenhagen in population -- with his wife, high school sweetheart Dana, and 10-month-old son, Jeremiah IV.

He acknowledges that playing in humble leagues has made it difficult to impress the U.S. staff, but Coach Bob Bradley said he has been aware of White and, with the Danish league on break and few European-based Americans available, decided to take a closer look this month.

"No matter where they are, you are looking at how they handle the process in camp and how they perform," Bradley said. "A lot of guys go to MLS or to bigger clubs, but there will always be others who take another route and, for some of them, it is a very positive experience."

White has been able to share that experience with prominent people outside the soccer community. Upon returning to Philadelphia last month, White was part of a group that dined with Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.). White's father has helped raise money for Specter's campaigns and arranged the event.

"He didn't know anything [about soccer], but he was interested in my experiences," he said. "He wanted to hear my opinions on things in the world, my perceptions abroad, what I've learned."

Reflecting on his years from home, he added, "Hopefully it has made me a better player, and at least I have a lot of cool stories to tell."