Owen Baker, Special to The Denisonian–

On an icy February afternoon, Denison’s Mitchell Center lobby had black rugs laid down on the way to the desk. On the left and right sat four or five large fans, bright orange and yellow. These objects had been placed there for a reason—to prevent slip-ups. 

But something looked out of place. On the front desk, next to the athletic facilities coordinator, Terrell White, there sat a Chess Federation chess mat, with two sets of green pieces.

Before he came to Denison, White worked as a linkage coordinator at Newark City Schools. His role was to mentor at-risk high school students so that they could graduate.

He did that through chess.

“It’s decision-making,” White said. “It’s being poised under the battle of the moment.” 

But the game means more to him than that; it serves as a glimpse into his past. He was introduced to the game in third grade by the Kiwanis of Columbus, a charity that helps children gain a better quality of life.

That same year, he was in a Scared Straight program—an initiative to deter children from future offenses through organized visits to prison facilities.

“I was at risk. A parent wasn’t in my household,” White said.

With his father in prison, his football coach was his father figure, encouraging his discipline and drive. Now, as a leader, he tries to mentor kids with backgrounds similar to his own. He frequently mentions the “3 D’s:” dedication, determination and desire.

“It’s still the one thing that I really teach people to this day,” White said. 

After playing football as a walk-on at the University of Toledo, White returned to his hometown.

In 2010, the same year his son was born, he began his first coaching position at Newark Catholic High School.

Coming to Denison as an assistant football coach in 2023, White’s coaching style is heavily influenced by his own former coach. His position as coordinator, he describes, is 50% managing athletic facilities, and 50% managing around 60 student workers—another team for him to coach.

“[He] brings a lot of energy,” said Nick Fencl ‘25, one of White’s student supervisors. “[He] brings a sports background, and he tries to keep Mitchell as a sports team.”

Dilnoza Khuseynova ‘25, another one of his student workers, recalled a quote that White spreads around the workplace.

“[White] will say, ‘It’s not what you do, it’s how you do it.’ It’s like the staple change coming to Mitchell,” Khuseynova said.

To White, it’s all about the people and the community.

“If you’re not helping your community, then you’re hurting it,” White said.

White’s chess program at Newark City Schools was modeled on Eugene Brown, the man whom the movie “Life of a King” was written about.

“Really, the base of ‘Life of a King’ is modeling life like chess. It’s a king you’re protecting; that’s your life,” White said, picking up the king on the right-hand side of the board. “I got a second in command, and then I gotta figure out who my bishops are; who my knights are.” 

White moves each of the light green pawns, one by one, left by one square. 

“You can play a game with just pawns. But it’s not about the pawns.”

He’s protecting the back row; his team.