From winning the Lombardi Trophy to being unexpectedly traded away, Devin White experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows during his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On the Pivot Podcast, White spoke about his journey for the first time since leaving.
“I just feel like a lot of mishandled situations, mishandled opportunities and injuries (affected his career). Injuries play a big part, you know,” White told former NFL stars Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder. “Coach Bowles (and) everybody said, ‘We’re going to take care of you. You’re our guy.’ You get that attitude of, you know, I’m your guy. I (will) get what I deserve.”
White admitted he began planning his future in Tampa and picking out a property for himself and his family. After putting together what he described as one of the “best four years in the league you could imagine,” he was blindsided when the Buccaneers planned to let him play with an option for a fifth year.
“Roquan did that before me. You know, Tory (White’s agent) had all his stuff in place. He had all my stats. Fred Warner showed me how he was going to pull together to pitch them (the San Francisco 49ers) for a contract. We didn’t even get that far when they (the Buccaneers) just said, ‘We have plans for you to play on your five-year option,'” White recalled.
White was shocked by the news and wanted to hear it in person. He bought a plane ticket to Tampa and met with general manager Jason Licht and Todd Bowles. The meeting did not go as planned for White, as Licht repeated what he had told him on the phone.
To regain control of the situation, White asked for a trade. When the Buccaneers refused, he organized the best training camp of his career. And then came the nightmare situation for any player fighting for a contract extension: White sustained a foot injury.
The linebacker played through the pain of a metatarsal sprain and ultimately hurt himself and his reputation. Coach Bowles, who White described as a father figure, took him aside and insisted he take care of himself. During rehab, White explained that a “certain person” wanted him to return to playing sooner than he was ready. Then things went downhill.
In the offseason, White accepted a one-year contract with the Eagles worth up to $7.5 million.
The podcast focuses on athletes telling their stories and focusing on a time when they had to pivot in the face of adversity. There’s no better candidate than White, who went from being the No. 5 overall pick to fighting for his career on a prove-it-it contract.
