Search the Community

Victoria Whitfield could feel the anticipation building inside as the ball Louisiana Tech quarterback Ryan Higgins lofted toward the sideline dropped steadily last week. All three televisions in Whitfield’s Sherman home were tuned to North Texas’ game against the Bulldogs with the volume turned up. The sound that reverberated through her house gave Whitfield a sense of what was about to happen in Ruston, La., as son Zac Whitfield broke on the ball, snatched it out of the air and weaved 56 yards down the field for what turned out to be a game-winning touchdown. “It was like a warm feeling,” Victoria Whitfield said. “I was overjoyed and was screaming and hollering.” Those moments are precious for both Victoria Whitfield and her son as she battles health issues. For the past 25 years, an enlarged artery in Whitfield’s brain has leaked fluid, blurring her vision. She also has heart problems and has battled ovarian cancer since Zac Whitfield’s senior year in high school. Victoria and Zac Whitfield acknowledge that they have no idea of how much longer she has to live — it could be months or years. That uncertainty makes every day and every highlight on the field precious for Victoria and Zac Whitfield, who will try to build on arguably his finest performance with UNT on Saturday when the Mean Green visits Southern Mississippi. Whitfield came off the bench to intercept two passes in UNT’s win over Tech, just six weeks after he was pulled from the starting lineup due to his struggles in the Mean Green’s first two games. “I’ve faced a lot of adversity, from losing my starting position to off-the-field issues with my family,” Zac Whitfield said. “The team has been there for me through it all and helped me get through it. They have been there for me every step.” So has Victoria Whitfield, 47, who taught her son to never back down from a challenge like those he has faced this fall. “She always used to tell me not to let anyone tell me that I couldn’t do something,” Zac Whitfield said. “She said I could do anything.” Read more: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/colleges/north-texas-headlines/20131023-football-precious-moments.ece

“We are not deserting Zac Whifield, but he has to make plays,” McCarney said. “I have seen him make that play in practice and scrimmages, but you have to carry it over to game day. We are all measured by what we do on Saturdays. He has to carry it over to the game field.” UNT also gave up a long pass play in its season-opening win over Idaho, a 59-yard strike from Chad Chalich to Michael LaGrone on the second play from scrimmage. The Mean Green has allowed six pass plays of 20 yards or more in the first two games of the year, an issue UNT will try to address before facing Ball State and Keith Wenning this week. Wenning ranks 10th nationally with 665 passing yards through two games and has five touchdowns with no interceptions. “We come into the game focused and ready to play,” UNT cornerback Hilbert Jackson said. “We need to hold it throughout the game.” Read more: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/colleges/north-texas-headlines/20130909-football-big-plays-lead-to-lineup-change-in-secondary.ece

Ever since he started playing football while growing up in Sherman, Zac Whitfield’s coaches have told him that his path in the game was headed to an unfamiliar place. His youth league coaches, his high school coaches and even the coaches who convinced him to sign with North Texas said, “Kid, one of these days you could be a great cornerback.” That day is almost here. Whitfield will play his first down at cornerback in his life on Saturday in a place college football fans like to call “Death Valley,” in Baton Rouge, where the Mean Green will take on No. 3 LSU in their season opener. Whitfield spent his first year at UNT as a redshirt and didn’t switch over from running back to cornerback until the beginning of fall practice. He could be in for one heck of an introduction to the world of college football in front of a crowd that is expected to top 90,000. LSU is riding the nation’s longest home winning streak at 17 games. “I’m just going to go and approach it as another game,” Whitfield said. “They work hard just like we do and bleed just like we do. I’m going to play ball and do the best I can to help my teammates win.” It’s that even-keel attitude and a willingness to do whatever he can to help his team that has helped the 5-9, 180-pound speedster with an ever-present grin quickly rise through the ranks of UNT defensive backs to earn a starting job. The spot didn’t come easy. Read more: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/colleges/north-texas-headlines/20120831-football-unts-whitfield-set-for-cornerback-debut.ece