Devin White Primed for Breakout Season in 2020
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took their share of criticism for spending a top-five pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on an inside linebacker. Heading into his second NFL season, Devin White is already proving to be well worth the investment.
After fighting through a knee injury early in his rookie season, White came on strong down the second half of the 2019 campaign, showing off the intelligence, athleticism, leadership and big-play ability that made the Bucs fall in love with him as a prospect during the predraft process.
With one NFL season under his belt, White is ready to establish himself as one of the best linebackers in the league.
“He had a great understanding of what he was doing," Bucs head coach Bruce Arians said of how White closed out his rookie season. "He was playing extremely fast, obviously making a bunch of splash plays with the fumble recoveries, the touchdowns, interceptions, the things he’s capable of doing. I thought he ran the show very well and did a heck of a job of tackling better the second half of the season than he did in the first. The knee brace was really hard for him to play with, and once he got that off, we saw what we were looking for.”
After one rookie season and a full offseason to prepare for 2020, White is prepared to be light years ahead of where he was when he arrived in Tampa Bay last year.
“I think for me I can play ten times faster than what I did last year," White said via video conference call Wednesday. "One because I don’t have that brace on and two because I knew the scheme last year, but me knowing the scheme now and knowing where my hip is, who I’m using in the run game, whether it’s Lavonte [David] or the down safety or even if we’re spilling it back to the corner, like if it’s a nub side. I’m knowing more and more now with just the Zoom meetings we were having in the offseason, and this just being my only focus. I’m good. And then it’s the same plays, and the new plays he [Todd Bowles] put in, they’re built off the last year’s plays, so I don’t have a new playbook in front of me. Everything’s just moving just fine for me.”
White's injury tested him in many ways in the early going of the 2019 season, mentally, physically and even spirtually.
“Having to wear that brace, it was challenging," White said. "I felt like a robot and felt like I needed extra help. I think it just told me that the man up above, he was just letting me know that he was guiding me, he was my strength. I think it just made me more patient. My patience level it’s not good. I always want to be on the field. I always want to be right in the midst of everything with my teammates, and I always want to be helping them get to a victory. I wasn’t able to do that, and it was the first time ever in my life having to sit out games or even miss practice, and I’ve been playing ball since I was five years old. That just lets you know."
"At the end of the day it boosted my confidence level up because I was so ready to get back," White continued. "I had so much time not to be on the field but just to be studying and it made me a better player. So, when I came back, it was all about playmaking. I think I went out there and I showed being able to win Defensive Rookie of the Month two months in a row – that was just a blessing, just letting me know it was all God’s timing, even though I didn’t start off so well, but I finished great.”
