So, O'Brien White was born in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.....he moved to Scarborough, Ontario just outside of Toronto in 2002 to be with his mother. Already an accomplished player who played on Jamaica's U-15 and U-17 National Teams, it was his father, who moved to Connecticut that made the calls to the Coaching Staff at UConn to watch his son play...When Ray Reid saw him play per a Toronto Sun Article, he saw a "very athletic, very talented and very mature player." It was a no brainer to give this kid a shot...Before attending Storrs, he spent two years at Lester B. Pearson Collegiate Institute, and was the Team MVP the last two years playing up there....
2005 White made an immediate splash in Storrs...10 goals and 8 assists earning him Big East Rookie of the Year and 2nd Team All Big East Honors...The Huskies an 8 seed for the NCAA's, defeated Stony Brook before losing to Akron on PK's. I White's Sophomore season, the numbers a bit down (7g, 6a) but he did have three game winning goals against Rutgers, Providence and Seton Hall...his 2006 year earning him 1st Team All Big East. But Ray Reid needed more from his 6-1 striker. White usually went back to Canada in the summer to rest up, instead, O'Brien White hit the weight room and the result was just incredible...
2007 was a great year, not just for the Huskies, but for White..Three hat tricks in wins over Pitt, PC and USF and 7 multi goal games overall in a 20-3-1 campaign, capped by a Big East Tournament Title and he added 6 game winning goals. As a three seed, the Huskies beat Vermont and USF in the NCAA's, but Va Tech edged UConn in the National Quarter Finals in Storrs before 5,495 at Morrone Stadium. IN an incredible season, White scored an NCAA high and UConn Record setting 23 goals while adding seven assists. First Team All Big East, First Team All American, Soccer America's Player of the Year and Winner of the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy as the Nation's Top Colligiate Soccer Player...The third Husky to win the Award and the First as a Junior...White could have opted for the MLS Super Draft, but chose to stay in school and get his degree which would be a first for his family.
The Senior Season of 2008 saw White's Goal scoring go way down....Playing only 14 games where he scored 6 goals and assisted on another pair...Where White missed the final 8 games with a season ending injury. Despite the shortened season, O'Brien White again named the Big East Offensive Player of the Year and 1st Team All Conference, in addition being named a 3rd team All American...
White was the 4th overall pick of Toronto FC in the 2009 MLS Super Draft, where he scored 4 goals in 33 games...Headed to Vancouver in the Expansion Draft, White was traded to Seattle. In seven games, he scored twice before his career came to a shocking end due to surgery to remove blood clots in his left leg. He never played again...
A menacing factor on the pitch, O'Brien White, thanks to his father, came to Storrs, made himself into an All American where he was a National Player of the Year....making him a UConn Legend