When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers spent their third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft on Arizona State running back Rachaad White, the expectation was that he would give the Bucs a change-of-pace runner to help spell Leonard Fournette, particularly in the passing game.
As the Bucs come out of their bye week, the rookie might be in the process of taking the starting job altogether.
White helped lead the way for Tampa Bay’s 21-16 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Germany, carrying the ball 22 times for 104 yards. He provided the highlight of the day with an epic stiff-arm, and put the game away with two huge runs on the final drive.
As the season has progressed, White has clearly become more comfortable in the offense, and his confidence is through the roof after that impressive outing in Munich.
“I’ll say I’m very comfortable,” White said Monday. “Obviously, my confidence is at an all-time high, but it just comes along with it. It’s more about doing your job [and] the coaches put me in a great position, teach me the game, Tom [Brady], a lot of guy – leaders on the team – teach me the game, so I just keep learning as I go. But, the things I can control is my attitude and effort. And when I play, that’s what I control.”
White is doing everything he can to maximize the opportunities he’s getting now as his role in the offense continues to grow.
“I’m just a big guy on opportunities, so that’s kind of what I focus on,” White said. “When opportunities come, I just have to make the best of them – that’s up to me to make them. I got a lot of great guys in my corner, my family and my friends and things like that and we all understand that life is about opportunities. Eventually everyone is going to get their shot and when you get your shot, it’s about what you make of it.”
White’s next opportunity will come on the road against the Browns on Sunday, as the Bucs might need to lean on the ground game once again, thanks to cold and rainy conditions that are currently forecast for Cleveland.
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