Model of masculinity
White shows a ton of promise as a model of masculinity in terms of redefining the way men are viewed at times.
In a personal essay he penned for The Player Tribune, White speaks on how he tried to keep his feelings to himself in the wake of his father’s passing.
"“My teammates would say, like, ‘Coby be looking angry right now,’ and I’d just take a deep breath and be like, ‘Nah, I’m chillin’. But, man … I definitely was not chillin’,” White said."
Like many, White struggled to come to terms with the passing of a loved one.
White described his father as his rock, his Superman.
With the help of family, White turned to God to help himself grieve as the essay indicates.
"“The more I opened up about everything, the better it got,” White said. “But there would still be times when I was happy and laughing and making jokes, and then five minutes later I’d be just really sad and not talking. And no one ever knew what that was about. I never went to my teammates and told them why. I just wasn’t able to.”"
In the essay, White admits his father used to kiss him on the cheek.
"“Not just like on my birthday or New Years or whatever … I’m talking everywhere,” he said. “In public. Around people. He didn’t care. He had no problem letting everyone know that he loved his son.”"
People don’t often see fathers kiss their sons on the cheek in today’s world.
"In closing the essay, White admits he would “do anything to have [my pops] there with me on draft night, even if only for a split second. Just to get one more kiss on the cheek from my pops.”"
White is more revealing and emotional in his personal essay than most men are willing to admit.
In today’s world where toxic masculinity has been under fire in the media, it’s a breath of fresh air to see the way men are reimagining the way masculinity can be realized.