James Calvin White (born February 3, 1992) is an American football coach and former running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers and was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft. A three-time Super Bowl champion, White set the Super Bowl records for receptions and points scored in Super Bowl LI and is also tied with Darren Sproles for the record for the most receptions (15) in a playoff game. Since retiring as a player, White has served as the head football coach at Benet Academy and the assistant running backs coach for the Illinois Fighting Illini.
White attended the St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. While there, he played high school football for the Raiders. White was a part of the 2008 St. Thomas Aquinas National Championship team. At Aquinas, he primarily split time with Giovani Bernard, who later became a running back for the Cincinnati Bengals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As a senior, White rushed for over 1,000 yards and over 20 touchdowns and was chosen to the (Broward) All-County team. He also played and lettered in baseball.
White came out of St. Thomas Aquinas as the 70th-ranked running back in his class, and as a three-star recruit by Scout.com. White chose Wisconsin over Clemson, Michigan State, and South Florida, among others. He was given the nickname "Sweet Feet".
White attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison from 2010 to 2013.
White was named the 2010 Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year. He finished the season with 156 carries for 1,052 yards and 14 touchdowns to go along with 11 receptions for 88 yards, leading the Badgers to the 2011 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
As a sophomore in 2011, White had 141 carries for 713 yards and six touchdowns to go along with 15 receptions for 150 yards.
As a junior in 2012, White finished with 125 carries for 806 yards and 12 touchdowns to go along with eight receptions for 132 yards and a touchdown.On November 16, 2013, White ran for a career-high 205 yards against Indiana and set a Wisconsin record for longest run from scrimmage (93 yards). He finished his senior season with 221 carries for 1,444 yards and 13 touchdowns to go along with 39 receptions for 300 yards and two touchdowns.
White rushed for over 100 yards a game on 17 different occasions during his college career despite splitting carries with John Clay, Montee Ball, and Melvin Gordon for most of his career.
White was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round (130th overall) of the 2014 NFL draft. He was active for only three games for the Patriots.
During Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs, White made his NFL debut and finished the 41–14 loss with three carries for 21 yards and three receptions for 15 yards. White was inactive for the team's 28–24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.
White emerged onto the national scene during Week 11 with a two-touchdown performance (one rushing, one receiving) against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football after starting running back Dion Lewis was out for the season with a torn ACL. White finished the 20–13 victory with 14 rushing yards and 32 receiving yards. The win pushed the Patriots' record to 10–0 for the season. Two weeks later against the Philadelphia Eagles, White caught a career-high 10 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown in the 35–28 loss.
White finished his second professional season with 40 receptions for 410 yards and four touchdowns to go along with 22 carries for 56 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games and one start.
White had a breakout season as the Patriots primary passing back with Lewis starting the season on the physically unable to perform list.
During Week 5, which was Tom Brady's return from suspension from Deflategate, White had four receptions for 63 yards in a 33–13 road victory over the Cleveland Browns. In the next game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he caught two touchdowns, a 15-yarder and a six-yarder, while recording a team-high eight receptions for 47 yards and rushing seven times for 19 yards during the 35–17 victory. The following week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, White caught his third touchdown of the season.
During a Week 11 30–17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, White caught six passes for 63 yards and recorded his fourth touchdown of the season. Three weeks later against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football, White caught three passes for 81 yards, including a 61-yard catch and run in the 30–23 victory. During a Week 16 41–3 victory over the New York Jets, White caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown, making it his fifth receiving touchdown of the season. With his Week 16 performance, White became one of four running backs to have 500 or more receiving yards in the 2016 season.
White finished the 2016 season with 60 receptions for 551 yards and five touchdowns to go along with 39 carries for 166 yards in 16 games and four starts.
During Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons, White had 139 yards from scrimmage (29 rushing, 110 receiving). He joined Roger Craig as the only running back with more than 100 receiving yards in a Super Bowl and broke Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas's previous record for most receptions in a Super Bowl, which came in a 43–8 loss to the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII, with 14. He scored three touchdowns and a two-point conversion, setting a record for points in a Super Bowl, with 20; that record was tied for the first time in Super Bowl LVII by Jalen Hurts.
All of White's 20 points in Super Bowl LI came after the Patriots trailed 28–3 midway through the third quarter. Danny Amendola's two-point conversion following White's second touchdown tied the game at 28, sending the Super Bowl to overtime for the first time ever. In overtime, White delivered the game-winning play by rushing two yards into the end zone for a touchdown as the Patriots won 34–28, becoming the first team in 134 tries to win when trailing by more than 17 points after three quarters in a postseason game (the Patriots trailed by 19). He was the first player in Super Bowl history to have a touchdown and a two-point conversion in one game.