Eastern Illinois defensive end Premiere Whitley (13), who played junior college football near his home in the San Diego area, often gets questions about his unique name. (Photo by Sandy King, EIUPanthers.com)
By Barry Bottino
Eastern Illinois defensive end Premiere Whitley gets the question often.
What’s the story behind your name?
“Every time I introduce myself, I have someone saying, ‘Wow, that’s an interesting name,” he said.
For Whitley, it’s a tale he gladly tells to celebrate the role music has played in the lives of his parents and three siblings.
“My family is a big music family. I have two older sisters and a little brother,” he said. “All of our names have some uniqueness to them.”
First, there’s his eldest sister, Debut.
The second-oldest sister is Jazz.
Then comes Premiere, followed by his little brother, whose middle name is Finale.
“It’s just a thing my parents did (with our names). My mom sings. I grew up in the church singing in the choir,” he said. “We’re a big musical performance family.”
Whitley cherishes time at the beach back home, admits he needs to live near a coast, misses tacos from his hometown and takes pride in the big names who graduated from his high school.
Learn all about Whitley in Moving the Chains, our weekly Illinois FCS Q&A.
If you take a teammate back home to San Diego, what are three things you have to show them?
Definitely the beach. That’s a big thing about San Diego. I’d take them to La Jolla Beach. It’s one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever been to.
I’d take them to Belmont Park. It’s right on the coast of South Mission Beach, about 25 minutes from Mexico. It’s a beautiful amusement park.
The third one … if it’s summertime, I’d probably take them to the Del Mar Fairgrounds (home of the annual San Diego County Fair). They have music, food, the whole deal.
You’ve also lived in Texas and Illinois. If you could live anywhere else, where would it be?
Probably somewhere in Florida. I’m going to always be a beach guy. I love the water. I love swimming. I’ve got to be somewhere where there’s a coast. I visited Panama City Beach over the summer and that was a great experience.
What kind of outdoor activities do you enjoy?
I love fishing. Since I came here (in January as a transfer), I’ve been trying to find the best fishing spots out here in Illinois. Me and some of our teammates go up to Lake Shelbyville. We fish Lake Charleston, find some local ponds.
Your alma mater, Helix Charter High School near San Diego, is well known for the football players it has produced. Who do you consider the most famous?
I’ve gotta give it to (USC legend) Reggie Bush. He’s probably the most prominent. I think (quarterback) Alex Smith visited a game but not while I was in high school.
Helix plays a lot of rivalry games. Describe the annual “Battle for the Musket”?
Yes, against Grossmont High School. When I got there in 2019, it was a really big deal. I can’t say it’s been a rivalry because it’s been one sided. In my four years, I never lost to Grossmont.
(The trophy) is an actual musket on a wooden board. We have it in our library at Helix. Whichever team wins takes the musket to their campus.
What other hobbies do you have?
I play the guitar and I play the piano. I’m a big music guy. In high school, I was part of the choir and I played guitar for them. I played guitar for my church back home in San Diego.
I love to song. I write some of my own music. I love music.
I was self taught (on guitar) around COVID. That’s when I started teaching myself since I had a lot of free time on my hands.
I’ve played piano since I was 12 years old. I stopped once I picked up the guitar because I thought, ‘Wow, this is way better. I can carry this wherever I go.’ Then I started playing piano again in high school. I performed at my school a few times.
Which teammate has the best style and which one has the worst style?
That’s kind of tough because we all sort of wear the same thing. (Laughs) It’s a lot of sweats, a lot of slides and a lot of sandals.
Have you found a good fish taco outside of San Diego?
I’m not a really big fan of fish tacos. But I do love tacos. I’ve been to Don Sol Mexican Grill in Mattoon. It was a pretty good spot. You can’t beat San Diego food. It’s out of this world.
I don’t think I could find anything that would compare to the tacos down there.
What do you miss most about home?
I miss my family the most. In general, the water. I miss, on a hot day, being in the water with my friends and family, just having a good time. I miss a good California burrito too. It’s so unique. It’s hard to replicate it.
Your career began in junior college at San Diego Mesa. How did that help your career?
I’m very grateful that I went there. It was a great experience. My D-line coach from high school got the job at San Diego Mesa that first year I was there. I had the same defensive line coach throughout high school and my first year of college. It felt like home.
The coaches were great. The culture is amazing.
I was a juco All-American my first year. I had a good experience both years and ending up transferring to a Division I school (FCS Prairie View A&M in Texas). It helped me to meet new people and network but also to play the game more freely and get a chance that I didn’t think I’d have out of high school.
It was a grind, for sure. I was working part-time while being a full-time student and full-time athlete. It’s not for everyone.
I have my associate’s degree in behavioral science and I got that completely free. In California, there’s a thing called the Promise program. In two years of community college, I got my tuition free.
California has a big car culture. What was your first car and what car do you currently drive?
My first car was a Mercury sedan. It was a hand-me-down that one of my older sisters had. I worked in juco and saved all my money. So I bought myself a Volkswagen CC. It’s a 2016. It’s back home. It’s my baby.
I was planning on bringing it but I moved out here with a few roommates and a guy from back home, so it was a perfect situation.
What’s your major at EIU, and which career path are you interested in after football?
I’m majoring in communications. I definitely want to get into coaching and teaching. It’s always been a passion of mine. I’d love to teach in high school and even become a professor. I definitely plan on getting my master’s degree.
What are the worst things about offensive linemen?
I’d say the holding, and it never gets called. They’re some big, sweaty dudes. Sometimes you get sweat on you and it’s not yours. That’s no fun.
If you’re having a tough day and you walk into the locker room, which teammate is always going to put a smile on your face?
That’s my boy, Ozzie (defensive tackle Osvaldo Avila). He’s a transfer from San Diego Mesa also. We went to juco together and ended up here together as well. He’s a great guy. He’s always there for me when I’m going through a rough time.
Fall is upon us in Illinois. What’s exciting about seeing that season for the first time as someone who arrived in January?
I’m excited. This is going to be my first fall out here. I’m a big nature guy, so I love the trees around here. There are actual seasons here. At home, we don’t really get that.
With Halloween around the corner, do you have a favorite candy, and what was your best costume growing up?
I like dark chocolate. Anything dark chocolate, that’s for me. I was a big fan of Wolverine growing up. Me and my dad used to watch all the Wolverine movies together. Definitely when I was younger, I dressed up as Wolverine and I had a blast.
Is there a good movie, book and/or TV show you would recommend?
I just recently watched Rise of the Planet of the Apes. That’s one of my favorite movies.
I’m reading a spiritual book right now. It’s called The Discipline of Grace. I’m a man of God, and I love to study about it. With our team chaplain here at EIU, we go through different chapters of the book. It’s a pretty good book.
Is there one position you’d like to play for one day?
I’ve always wanted to play tight end. I played offensive line in high school, too. I’d love to catch the ball and block a few people.
If you are chosen president of the NCAA, what’s the first rule you would change?
I would make a rule that says the rules now are final and there couldn’t be any more changes. It messes with people’s futures and opportunities.
Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.
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