Stilman White: Mormon Athlete
Stilman White is a star basketball player for the University of North Carolina and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often inadvertently called the Mormon Church. White is six feet tall and weighs 160 pounds. He was born on July 27, 1992, to Shannon and Erin White in Orange, California.
Stilman White had intended to serve a Mormon mission for two years right out of high school and then return to play for Brigham Young University or another Utah school. However, he was recruited by the Tar Heels and fell in love with the place when he toured the campus and location in Chapel Hill. White was moved into the spotlight and a greater amount of playing time when other players suffered injuries.
White's profile from the Tar Heels reads as follows:
- Earned first-team Associated Press and North Carolina Basketball Coaches all-state honors and was the Mideastern Conference and District 2 Player of the Year in 2011 • Two-time team captain, MVP and all-district honoree • Played for Coach Brett Queen • Scored 1,078 points and had 231 assists in 76 career games • Averaged a career-high 20.5 points and 3.0 assists per game as a senior • Hoggard's all-time leader in made free throws (280) and three-point field goal percentage (.381) • Led Hoggard to the conference tournament championship in 2011 • One of three players in school history to score 1,000 or more points. [1]
White went to the Sweet 16 playoffs in 2012, a lot of pressure for a young player. His immaturity created questions for the team, but he managed to rally when the pressure was on. News articles about him cited his unshaken plan to serve as a Mormon missionary.
- White is from Wilmington, N.C., but nobody is confusing his upside with that of another Wilmington product who went to Carolina – Michael Jordan. White is leaving school after this season, but not because he’s turning pro. He’s going on a Mormon mission, following the lead of his parents, Erin and Shannon, who did missions in their youth in California and Puerto Rico.
- “I’m pretty committed to a two-year mission,” White said. “It’s something I’ve looked forward to since I was 8 years old. … I planned on going [on a mission] out of high school, then North Carolina started recruiting me.” [2]
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