By Eli Jordan
On Jan. 19, 2023, Jonathan White took one massive step in achieving his dreams of being a professional football player: playing in the Dream Bowl in Little Elm, Texas. With a two-touchdown performance, White took home the offensive MVP for the game. Those two touchdowns helped his team, he Crusaders, cruise to a 49-6 victory over the Patriots.
The Dream Bowl is the top game for NAIA, FCS, D2 and D3 athletes who are looking for a chance to play at the next level. The game takes place over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend every year. The game attempts to “treat seniors to a real bowl game experience.” They do that by providing first-class accommodations, meals, and facilities for the players. It has been operating for eleven years.
The goal of these senior bowls is to put the nation’s top players in front of as many scouts as they can. At the division one level, you’ll see the Senior Bowl or the Shriner’s Bowl, but for NAIA athletes, the Dream Bowl is one of the best opportunities to be seen by professional football scouts of different leagues.
The Dream Bowl has helped 40 athletes find their way into the NFL, and many more in the Canadian Football League, Indoor Football and in Europe. With the USFL looking to kick off its second season this summer, and the XFL looking to return this spring, Jonathan White has a real shot to be a player many Bulldogs get to watch from their couches at home.
Moving forward, Jonathan White is looking to perform well at a pro day and find himself an agent before preparing for the NFL Draft.
