What did John White do? Southern Miss Quarterback and Mississippi speaker’s son arrested during spring break

John White, a 19-year-old college football player from the University of Southern Mississippi, was arrested in Florida on Monday, March 11, 2024, for underage drinking while on spring break in Okaloosa County.

The news of his arrest was shared via a press release by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office.

"This Spring Breaker got a notice to appear for underage possession of alcohol at 5:45 on the beach yesterday but apparently didn't learn a lesson. He was caught again 30 minutes later in the pool area of the Villages of Crystal Beach so that means taking a ride to jail!," the post said.

While the police who shared a picture of the college freshman did not immediately identify him in the press release, multiple reports named him as John White, the son of Speaker of the State House of Representatives in Mississippi, Jason White.

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Southern Miss Quarterback John White was arrested two months after his father was appointed Speaker

The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, in a press release, said John White was issued a notice to appear in court for underage possession of alcohol after deputies caught him drinking on Crystal Beach around 5:45 pm on Monday.

They further wrote that he was taken into custody around 7:45 pm the same night after deputies caught him with alcohol thirty minutes later in the pool area of the Villages of Crystal Beach.

According to WJTC, John White is the freshman quarterback for Southern Mississippi University. He is also the son of newly elected Republican Mississippi Speaker Jason White.

White's arrest comes two months after his father was unanimously elected as the new speaker of the House of Representatives. Jason White said in a speech to the House on Tuesday, January 2, 2024:

“I look forward to working with all of you for the betterment of Mississippi. Many of us here see things from very different perspectives and different viewpoints. But I also know we love this state and want to do what’s best, what’s right for her people.”

Jason White was first elected to the House in 2011 as a Democrat, but he switched to the Republican Party the next year. During his speech, Jason White also urged his colleagues to keep an open mind while addressing the healthcare crisis plaguing the state.

“We need to find ways to ensure that the folks who are working have some basic level of health care that keeps them in the workforce and out of the emergency room. I’m not talking about a government handout. I’m talking about provider-led solutions that the state will foster and facilitate.”

At the time of writing this article, Jason White has not addressed his son’s arrest for underage drinking.