Former Raider, UNLV star prepares for championship clash

For UNLV and Las Vegas Raiders fans, the United Football League’s championship game will feature a familiar face.

When the Michigan Panthers square off against the DC Defenders on Saturday in St. Louis, they will do so with former UNLV star linebacker Javin White patrolling the middle of their defense.

White is currently on his second year with the Panthers after a short stint in the NFL. He spent time with the New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and the Raiders. His time in Las Vegas from 2020-21 saw White mostly on the practice squad, but he did play in four games with the Raiders.

White, however, is more known for his time at UNLV, where he was a member of the All-Decade team for the 2010s. From 2016-19, White played 43 games and started 29, amassing 201 tackles, nine interceptions and seven forced fumbles.

“I was really happy there,” White said about his time at UNLV, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Ed Graney. “I wish we would have won a few more games, but a lot of people did also. It was one of those culture schools. A lot of people look at it like it’s just Las Vegas and a lot of partying, but it was a close-knit school. It set a good foundation for me.”

Since joining the Panthers, White has found a home in the UFL. Now, White has the biggest moment of his career in front of him to earn the right to call himself a champion. That is the dream in White’s mind, not necessarily a return to the NFL.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a dream anymore,” White said. “I’ve done it. I feel like I knocked it off my checklist. I’m happy where my feet are right now, and I’m just trying to see what the next chapter of my life might be. I always cherished my time in the league. If it happened again, it happens. If it doesn’t, I won’t be mad.”

With White and Las Vegas native Kai Nacua repping the Panthers, the loyalties of Las Vegas fans on Saturday will be easy to deduce.