Trent Whittemore just can’t assist but smile as he reminisced on the times he and his significant brother, Luke Whittemore, would stage onto Citizens Subject and be coached by their father, Mark Whittemore.
“My finest recollections are undoubtedly actively playing for my father and with my brother, my more mature brother (Luke),” mentioned the Gainesville native.
“I can bear in mind one 7 days in unique, I had come up with a play concept, and we were heading to enjoy Bartram Path, which is a major district rivalry and continue to is for Buchholz and Bartram,” Trent included. “We were able to set the enjoy in, and which is 1 professional of owning your father as head mentor. You can explain to him some thing at property, and he may basically hear.”
When Trent’s enjoy was place into the match, Luke ended up scoring off it in the 2nd half. The Bobcats received a 17-10 victory on their district rival’s residence field.
“It was a massive acquire for the staff,” Trent claimed. “I imagine that was really one particular of my beloved memories from all of significant school football.”
Luke Whittemore has comparable memories of sharing the subject with his brother.
“Particularly for the duration of my junior season, when Trent was a freshman, we finished a few fourth-quarter comebacks that we still reminisce on. At that issue in time, it was Buchholz’s greatest time in several years, and to be in a position to knowledge that with family, after all we’d invested in the college, was specific.”
Next large school, Trent Whittemore was recruited by the University of Florida, where he performed as a receiver for the Orange & Blue for 4 yrs.
Now, Whittemore will return to the Black & Gold as he will end his collegiate occupation pursuing in his father’s footsteps. Whittemore declared on Jan. 7 that he will be transferring to the College of Central Florida as a graduate scholar with two a long time of eligibility remaining. His father was a vital participant for Knight Nation and produced a title for himself in the early 1990s, in what was then recognized as the Soccer Championship Subdivision.
“I’m actually grateful to get the chance to place on that same uniform that he did, and that indicates a ton,” Trent Whittemore said.
Mark Whittemore was also no stranger to the Black & Gold when he joined Knight Nation, as he was after a receiver at Buchholz. He led the Bobcats to the 1990 4A Florida Condition Championship, in which they took down Dillard 24-7.
After actively playing in the NFL, Mark Whittemore would locate his way again to Buchholz where by he would go on to coach 3 of his four sons: Luke, Trent, and Creed Whittemore. Right after 28 a long time as a football mentor for the Bobcats, and 12 several years as head mentor, Mark Whittemore announced his retirement at the summary of Creed’s higher college senior period in December 2022.
“I think he’s enthusiastic that I’m right here now, and I get to with any luck , have on that legacy that he started out in this article,” Trent Whittemore mentioned of his father. “He naturally had a heck of a profession, so I’m psyched to be in a position to check out and carry that on. He arrived down below to assist me shift in the other day, and he’s definitely excited.”
Trent Whittemore additional how his father has shared lots of tales with him and his brothers from his time playing at UCF.
“He has just one humorous story about when he was at a basketball recreation,” Trent Whittemore claimed. “He and just one of his buddies ran out on the courtroom and led the crowd in a cheer. They weren’t intended to be out there, but they ran out there and led a cheer. He did a backflip out on the court and received the group fired up. That’s 1 that he likes to convey to a whole lot.”
Friday Night Lights have often been at the heart of the Whittemore spouse and children. Trent Whittemore spoke on the influence that his father has experienced on his adore of the activity rising up.
“He played a large part, just expanding up with a father who’s a mentor,” Trent said. “Fall was constantly specific to my family. It was soccer period, it was the time of the yr that we all expected.”
Trent stated how, anytime the spouse and children watched a sport or talked about soccer, it was from a various viewpoint. Considering the fact that Mark Whittemore was a play caller, discussions would differ mostly from the viewpoint of a normal enthusiast. He shared how his dad would crack anything down for him and usually described how factors get the job done.
“Even from a young age, he liked to put the Television on mute,” Trent said. “He was like we really do not will need announcers, we can enjoy the recreation for ourselves. Which is just one of the things he did that I do to this working day.”
Also, Trent Whittemore shared how his father has influenced him and his brothers to go on and enjoy college or university football.
“I assume just his drive and how he motivates folks to perform hard, he instilled that in me and my brothers at a youthful age,” Trent explained.
Luke, the eldest Whittemore brother, was recruited out of higher school by Troy College as a receiver in the 2016 class. He shared how his father has influenced him in each component of his existence.
“My dad experienced a huge impression on my lifetime in every single way,” Luke reported. “Beyond just training me the fundamentals of soccer, he confirmed me how it could be so substantially more than that. His method has constantly been a person that prioritizes the impression he can have on the persons that soccer brings his way. This motivated me to make the activity extra about other individuals than it was about myself. That has resulted in associations and classes that I’ll usually have with me.”
Luke, Trent and Creed all played at least two sports activities rising up. In the conclude, the trio would all go on to participate in soccer at the faculty level.
“We all ended up sticking with football in faculty,” Trent stated. “I consider component of that is mainly because it genuinely does run in our household. We noticed my father do it, and then I saw my older brother do it. It just pushed me in that very same direction… I feel him remaining a mentor and just currently being the persona that he is just drove all of us to ultimately engage in college or university soccer.”
Creed, the 2nd youngest Whittemore brother, in advance of Andrew, will be playing at Mississippi Condition in the fall. Following an outstanding senior time in which he handed for 2,533 yards with 33 touchdowns and rushed for 1,170 yards with 16 additional touchdowns, Creed led Buchholz to a 2nd straight location title. Creed Whittemore was named the 2022 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Football, getting honored as Florida’s best over-all player. He spoke on the significance of family members in his lifestyle, as perfectly as how psyched he is for his significant brother to be playing at UCF.
“Family is the most critical issue to me guiding my marriage with God,” Creed Whittemore claimed. “I get just as thrilled to see my brothers rating as when I rating. So observing Trent have this prospect to engage in at a legacy school signifies a great deal. I imagine he’s a single of the finest receivers in the Huge 12 and he’s likely to clearly show that this yr. He’s just one of the hardest employees I know and he’s likely to do good items for Knight Nation.”
Luke shared how getting a loved ones that was closely included in sports activities, the Whittemore boys had been generally competing against each and every other. He additional that the way he and his brother grew up taught them how to support just one one more.
“Being a component of our loved ones built me truly feel like any of my brother’s successes had been mine as effectively,” Luke mentioned.
As considerably as Trent’s transition to Knight Nation, he claims all the things has been sleek.
“It’s been really superior,” Trent mentioned. “The offseason is far more of a bit of a calm time, so you get to expend a little bit a lot more time just like getting to know men and that kind of factor.”
Trent gave a shoutout to some of his very first good friends on the team, UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, who he stated was a good 1st buddy that he received to know very promptly. Trent spoke remarkably of UCF tight conclude Alec Holler, whilst also sharing how welcoming the entire roster has been.
“The whole crew has been really receptive, so a massive shoutout to people guys, but actually the total staff has been super helpful and tremendous welcoming,” Trent mentioned.
Also, yet another previous Bobcat will be on the subject this period with Trent Whittemore, UCF receiver Quan Lee.
“I see Quan all the time now, we function out jointly, throw with each other,” Trent stated. “It’s good to have a further Bobcat all over, to be capable to depict not only the Black & Gold as Knights but the Black & Gold as Bobcats. I got a good deal of love for Quan.”
Prior to saying his final decision on Jan. 7, Trent shared how he was in amongst a number of distinct places the full time he was in the portal.
“I just prayed about it a good deal and talked about it with my family, and then type of suitable just before I produced that announcement, that’s when I definitely made the decision,” Trent Whittemore mentioned.
On top of that, Trent spoke of how Knight Nation is not only a spot that indicates a large amount to his loved ones but how he sees it being a very good healthy for him soccer-sensible as properly.
“When you are older and you’re in the portal you’re definitely seeking for a fantastic healthy,” Trent Whittemore said. “It wasn’t just that UCF was wherever my dad experienced performed. I believe there were being a whole lot of other things as well.”
Trent spoke about how he has had a fantastic relationship with UCF head mentor Gus Malzahn, and how his family members has recognised him for some time. Malzahn, then with Auburn, was hopeful to recruit Trent when he was coming out of large college in 2019. Mahzahn, at the time at UCF, was also keen to recruit Creed and their cousin, Malachi Singleton.
“I’ve experienced a connection with him for a very long time and having to perform for him was anything that genuinely piqued my interest,” Trent claimed of Malzahn. “I imagine he’s a great coach,” he included.
Trent also shared his liking for UCF receivers mentor Grant Heard, who he will be performing with.
In addition, among the Knights’ coaching staff is offensive coordinator Darin Hinshaw. The Whittemore-Hinshaw relationship is formally returning to Knight Nation, as Hinshaw played as the quarterback at UCF in the early ’90s alongside Mark who played as a receiver.
Hinshaw was also active in recruiting Trent out of significant faculty, as he was the OC at Kentucky at the time.
“I’ve recognized of him clearly my full lifetime,” Trent reported. “He was a person of my dad’s buddies and played with him at UCF, so it was truly awesome whenever he received employed to be the OC. He attained out proper absent, and we already had a partnership so that was definitely a blessing.”
Trent Whittemore complimented Hinshaw for how he operates a well balanced procedure, receives everyone included, and ensures that the overall offense is on the very same web site.
“I feel if you appear at his track record and the places he’s been and in which he’s experienced the chance to simply call plays, they’ve been really thriving,” Trent said. “He does a truly superior occupation of coaching the quarterbacks, which is his primary target. As properly as just obtaining most people seriously well-informed of what is going on and the scheme.”
Trent’s transition to Knight Country has been doing the job out properly on the educational aspect as well. Right after he commenced pursuing a master’s degree in communication at UF, Trent Whittemore elected to go after interdisciplinary research at UCF. He ideas to incorporate some of his communications work with some general public administration courses, a further desire of his. As much as his career aspirations, Trent suggests he’s open to a good deal of distinctive things. He is likely heading to remain inside the sports sector somehow. For now, he’s targeted on playing for having said that long the match takes him, and then he’ll go from there.
Luke Whittemore has taken notice of how well Trent is presently fitting in with Knight Country.
“I assume UCF will be a fantastic suit for Trent,” Luke claimed. “It’s a place where by he feels at home, and I believe he can provide a large amount of benefit for them as they make the transition to the Massive 12. The way he’s presently commenced to get acclimated to the method makes me definitely excited for the splash that he’ll make this calendar year.”
As Trent Whittemore ways foot on the area at FBC Mortgage Stadium this slide, he will stroll into the future chapter of his soccer career and all the though suiting up in the two colours that the Whittemore loved ones retains closest to their hearts.
“It’s a location that implies a great deal to my family, but at the similar time I was wanting to go to a put that was a very good soccer in good shape as well,” Trent stated. “I think UCF is that.”
