Jonathan Gannon knew linebacker Kyzir White from their time together with the Eagles, and White signed a two-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals in the 2023 offseason.
When it was time to have captains, the head coach named White one of the six. This year, players voted and White is a captain again.
“It feels good to get the respect from your peers for me doing the right things,” he said Monday after the first practice of Week 1. “I talk when I need to talk. I don’t try to do too much. I really just try to lead by example, so definitely feel good to know that my teammates see me as a captain. It’s something I don’t take lightly.”
Asked when he votes what he wants in a captain, White said, “Just be a leader. Try to do things the right way all the time. Nobody perfect, (but) be accountable, be somebody that the guys go to. Just be a good teammate. Just because you’re a captain, that don’t put you above anybody. We’re all on the same level, but it’s a good honor.”
White joins quarterback Kyler Murray, running back James Conner and safety Budda Baker as captains. Talking about Conner, he said, “He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve been around. He’s always in here getting extra work. He talks when he needs to talk. You just see the work he puts in. He got a lot of good results from it last year. You just gotta respect a guy like that.”
While there has been significant changes in the roster since Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort arrived early in 2023, the other captains are holdovers. Still, Gannon noted Monday that many players received votes, meaning there are numerous leaders in the locker room even if they aren’t captains.
White concurred, saying, “(Defensive lineman) Justin Jones is a guy I got drafted with (Chargers 2018). I voted for him to be captain. Obviously, he didn’t get it, but he’s a captain in my eyes. (Linebacker) Dennis Gardeck, (he’s) another captain in my eyes. (There’s) a lot of captains in the room. We have just four this year, but there’s more than four captains on this team.”
Finally, asked if it’s important for there to be a balance of players that lead by example along with being vocal, White said “for sure,” while noting the importance of the vocal ones backing it up with production.
“I’ve been around a lot of rah-rah guys that go out there and don’t do nothing,” White said. “Then you got guys who just lead by example and they go out there and perform. I like that approach better: Lead by example and talk when you need to talk.”
We’ll find out soon enough if all of that is enough to win when you need to win.
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