Devin White bids farewell to Tampa

Moving on to Philly

No matter how bad it got towards the end, nobody can take away from the role Devin White played in helping the Bucs win their second Lombardi Trophy. Back then, he was showing up every play and doing all he could to be the best linebacker he could possibly be. Somewhere in between then and now, something drastically changed. Some place in there; he went from being in the top two in tackles almost every week to ultimately being shown the bench in favor of K.J. Britt. What exactly it is that changes a player from riches to rags, I cannot say. I do know it starts with the “want to” within a man. For a period, he wanted to be the best player on the defense, but then for whatever it is that drives the “want to” in a person that was gone. Heart, intestinal fortitude, pride, oh, and give a damn. These things all reside on the same street within our minds. When any one of those residents bails, the neighborhood begins to decline. Before you know it, one day, the street is basically barren. The sun no longer shines, and it’s cloudy, rainy, and gloomy all day every day. So it was, in the end, for Devin White. Was he not challenged enough? Did he decide he had accomplished all that he could on Sundays, on Dale Mabry? Was it personal issues at home, Depression? Whatever the reason, Devin White is leaving less of a player than when he arrived. He has signed a one-year prove-it type deal with the Eagles worth 7.5 million. If he can dodge whatever demons that led to his Tampa demise, then he still has a long career in the NFL, there for the playing. If he cannot find the motivation to return to the player he was out of LSU, then this could be his last stop. There isn’t a lot of sympathy for a player who has what it takes but won’t, for whatever reason, play with the fire that got him there. I believe he is going to find that it would have been a lot easier just to have kept the fire burning in Tampa. Believe me this contract is not what Devin White had counted on for his first veteran deal.

So much talent and promise

Devin White’s second NFL season was a season that saw Tom Brady come to town to lead the Buccaneers to their second Super Bowl. Devin White was a monster in the middle, registering 9 sacks from the linebacker position, a career-high 140 combined tackles (97 solo), 15 tackles for a loss, and 16 hits on the quarterback. White led the team in tackles that season and was second to only Pierre-Paul by a half a sack. It is safe to say that when your numbers for the season are better than Lavonte David’s, you have reached the top of the ladder. His numbers began to decline after 2020 until being benched in 2023. 

Then there was the ultimate no-no. 

White demanded a trade before the 2023 season. It was right after Tom Brady announced he was retired for good. That was all it took for him to lose whatever stock he still had with the team and fans. White ultimately came back and said his trade demand was “a little selfish” and that he wanted to be a Buccaneer for life. By then, it was too late. He was as good as gone. White was his own worst enemy. There’s something to be said for biting one’s tongue. Had his level of play not slipped, he might have been able to weather the storm. The two combined was a shipwreck he couldn’t steer clear from.

Thanks for the memories

“I’m not sure where to start of how to find the right words to let y’all know the love and gratitude I have for welcoming this cowboy in from the moment my name was called five years ago,” White said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my career, and for that, I’m truly blessed and thankful.” He went on to thank the Bucs for drafting him, all the coaches, who he called “amazing and caring people” and his teammates, who helped shape him into the man he is today. White then went on to say that. “While my next steps will be somewhere new, my first steps in this league were with you. You will forever hold a cherished place in my heart,” White wrote. “I will never take for granted the time I’ve spent being with you in the community and getting to know so many of you.” — thanking the Bay Area for all their support. In the end, he was humble and appreciative. White is to be credited with his contributions in 2020. You don’t dominate an offense like the Chiefs in the Super Bowl unless you have studs on defense. White was one of the biggest that season. Thanks for the memories, the good ones, anyway. Go Bucs!!