Devin White continues to prove his worth in loss to Saints

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have lost yesterday’s divisional rematch against the New Orleans Saints, but one of the big takeaways from the game was the continued growth of rookie linebacker Devin White. The former LSU star, who was selected fifth …

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have lost yesterday’s divisional rematch against the New Orleans Saints, but one of the big takeaways from the game was the continued growth of rookie linebacker Devin White.

The former LSU star, who was selected fifth overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, had a rough go of things to start the season. Leading up to Week 1’s opener, White struggled with tonsillitis and lost 10 pounds because of the illness. Then, in Week 2, he suffered a knee sprain that sidelined him for several weeks.

Now healthy, White has been showing off some of the crazy athleticism that had many people picking him as a preseason favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.

In Week 8’s loss to the Tennessee Titans, White had a monster tackle on Titans punter Brett Kern during a trick play. White’s tackle knocked the ball out of Kern’s hand and was returned for a Bucs touchdown, but the refs inexplicably called Kern down by contact.

The following week in Seattle, White prevented a touchdown run by Seahawks running back Chris Carson, sprinting down field like a bat out of hell to catch him.

And then, in yesterday’s loss to the Saints, White set a new career-high with 13 tackles, 11 of which were solo. He also had some highlight-worthy moments, like the one below.

While the team may be just 3-7, seeing White’s emergence into a star linebacker bodes well for this defense’s future.

Shades of Derrick Brooks, perhaps?

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