Devin White: The Moment It All Changed
I’ll never forget it.
It was on a Sunday morning, around 11:02a Eastern Standard Time.
The Carolina Panthers and their backup QB, Kyle Allen were on the 25-yard line. Allen took the snap, did a double-take downfield hoping to throw off the BUCS LBs and safeties. Instead, he went to the flat where he found #22 wide open.
McCaffrey caught it, ran 7 yards…shook Vernon Hargreaves, the guy that had made a game-winning tackle against him a few weeks prior, down to his drawers…..ran right past Jordan Whitehead, and stiff-armed Devin White on the way to the end zone.
Damn!
Like many of fellow BUCS fans that had gotten up early to watch that International Game in London, I was commenting via social media immediately. Our #5 Overall Draft Pick had just gotten obliterated alongside his fellow teammates in a moment that could live forever. It was U-G-L-Y.
Now, what got me wasn’t just the play itself in real-time; it was the replay and the image that was shown after. If you left the room to go grab a snack or just try to walk off the early-morning ass-whoopin’ the Team was taking, you might’ve missed it.
FOX came back after a commercial break to show a live look of Devin White watching the jumbotron at That look on White’s face told the story. He was on the bad end of a highlight. And he didn’t like it at all. He was embarrassed. He was pissed-off with himself.
Ray Lewis once said “You’ve gotta be pissed-off for Greatness.” Well, that very moment just may have been enough to set White on his way. It definitely felt like that was a turning point for him and his season. Maybe his career.
Taken from Twitter DM message group throughout the 2019 season with RealBucsTalk(@RealBucsTalk), Michael Pless(@MichaelPless), and fellow BUCS fan, Jamar Armon(@ArmonJ85).
Since that moment, White hasn’t been the same. And that’s super impressive seeing as how that was only his 3rd game in the League and he learned a career-altering lesson.
I had watched a good bit of Devin White during his time at LSU. And watching how he played had me intrigued about how good he could be; but also made me cautious of his being a Top 5 Pick in the Draft. White had a lot of similarities to former BUCS MLB, Kwon Alexander, who was also a former Bayou Bengal. Similar strengths. Same flaws.
Those flaws included being over-aggressive and attacking the ball carrier high too often which caused missed tackles. To date, White has 31 missed tackles thru 31 games including the Playoffs. For comparison, Lavonte David has 22 missed tackles over the last 36 games.
White has since changed the way he routinely goes after ball carriers. You’ll see him going for the opponent’s waist or at ball-level far more often than not.
He still has his lapses. But, overall he appears more conscious of where he’s going and the risk/reward factor. He doesn’t attempt the big hits. He’s not in love with the highlights. Instead, he goes to make sure he stops the ball from progressing. White has improved his missed tackle percentage from 11.7% in year one to 9.7% in his second year.
Devin White not only made it a point to hold himself accountable but he’s also stepped up to make sure his fellow teammates are doing the same. In the Week 10 matchup that saw the BUCS take on Cardinals at Raymond James Stadium, this was on full display. In the 3rd quarter, on a 4th and 1, there was an obvious miscommunication in the player assignment and/or play call.
QB Kyler Murray got the defense to bite hard on a play-action which left Maxx Williams WIDE open with a clear path to the end zone. There was no one within 7 yards of the tight end. It was a sure-shot TD. The only thing that stopped it resulting in six points was the sun beaming directly into his eyes causing him to drop the ball. The defense seemingly caught a break. They made a huge mistake and didn’t pay for it. But, Devin White and Lavonte David didn’t let anyone slide. Broadcast cameras didn’t catch it. But those that were paying attention in the stadium after wiping their brow in both relief and disbelief sure did. The rookie linebacker and his tag-team partner/mentor wouldn’t allow any of the young secondary to get off the field until they understood just how bad they had messed up. The offense was already in the huddle and White was still on the field with his guys drilling the importance of the previous play.
That’s impressive.
Not just for a rookie either. That’s impressive for anyone that’s not an All-Pro or Super Bowl-level veteran.
In his first two seasons, Devin White has become a defensive captain and one of the most vocal leaders of the entire team despite being one of the youngest on the roster. He’s a must-watch(must-listen) any time there’s a microphone nearby. And he may be on his way to being one of the most important players in Tampa’s history joining the likes of Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks who helped change the perception of the BUCS upon their arrival. There’s still a long way to go. But, seeing as how he’s been able to capitalize on his worst moments on the field and use it to propel himself to a new level at such an early stage of his career, there should be little doubt that has the maturity to make the most of his opportunity to among the best.
