Tag: devin white bucs

Make sure you run into the new year like Bucs LB Devin White

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie linebacker Devin White had a stellar rookie campaign, and seems ready to keep the momentum going into 2020.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White had a lot to live up to after being drafted fifth overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. Not only was the former LSU star pegged as the best linebacker in his draft class, but he was also the first linebacker taken in the first round by the Bucs since 1995, when they selected future Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks.

White’s rookie year got off to a rough start, though, as he dealt with illness and then a knee sprain, all within the first two weeks. But, after being sidelined for several games, White returned to the field with a vengeance, displaying his superhuman athleticism and potential.

White earned Defensive Rookie of the Month honors the last two months of the season, and culminated his stellar rookie campaign by returning a fumble 91 yards for a touchdown in Week 17’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The play was the longest fumble return touchdown in Buccaneers history.

So, as White puts the 2019 season behind him and looks to 2020, he’s ready to keep on rolling, evident by this fun tweet he put out earlier in the week.

Take a look.

Tampa Bay finished the season 7-9 and will select 14th in April’s NFL draft. And, if CBS Sports’ latest mock draft is to be believed, he could have an old college teammate joining him in Tampa very soon.

[lawrence-related id=26980,26970,26963,26958]

This stat further proves just how great Bucs LB Devin White was this season

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie linebacker Devin White had a tough start to his NFL career, but finished strong.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have finished just 7-9 — once again missing the postseason — but there are several reasons to be excited about this team heading into the offseason, something you haven’t really been able to say in years past about this franchise.

One of the biggest bright spots of the season was the emergence of rookie linebacker Devin White, who the team selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft. White, the former LSU star, got off to a rough start to his NFL career, dealing with tonsillitis in the week leading up to the season opener and then suffering a knee sprain in Week 2 that sidelined him for several games.

But, once White got back on the field and found his groove, he showed exactly why draft experts had him pegged as the best linebacker in last year’s draft class. From body-slamming punters to chasing down running backs, White is ready to take the league by storm and be a cornerstone of this defense for years to come.

And, if you want further proof of just how great he was this season, this stat says it all.

The Bucs defense came a long way in 2019 under first-year defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. After ranking 27th overall last year, the Bucs defense finished 2019 as the league’s 15th-best defense. If the Bucs can find a way to keep the franchise’s new single-season sack leader Shaq Barrett, they could make an even bigger jump in 2020.

[lawrence-related id=26893,26831,26874,26861]

Bucs LB Devin White named NFC Rookie of the Month

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie linebacker Devin White has been having a strong second half and has earned accolades for his play.

It’s good to be Devin White right now.

After a rough start to his rookie year, the former LSU product and number five overall pick in April’s draft has begun to show the league why many people had him pegged as the best linebacker in the 2019 draft class.

In Sunday’s Week 13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, White had an interception, fumble recovery and defensive touchdown all in the first quarter. Head coach Bruce Arians said that White is finally coming into his own.

And it seems the rest of the NFL is starting to buy into the White hype, as the rook has just been named NFC Rookie of the Month for his solid play over the past several weeks.

White is the cornerstone of this Buccaneers defense. He was the first linebacker taken by Tampa Bay in the first round since Derrick Brooks in 1995.

The Bucs sure know how to pick ’em.

[lawrence-related id=25787,25779,25772,25764]

Arians on Devin White: ‘He’s really come into his own’

See what Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians had to say about rookie linebacker Devin White following the team’s win over the Jags.

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted LSU linebacker Devin White with the fifth overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, the team had big expectations for the collegiate star. After all, White was the first linebacker Tampa Bay had selected in round one since Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks in 1995.

The hype surrounding White built up in training camp and the preseason, when some experts picked him as the favorite for the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.

But, White’s season got off to a bumpy start. In the week leading up to the home opener against the 49ers, White lost nearly 10 pounds while dealing with tonsillitis. Then, in Week 2 he suffered a knee sprain early in the game that ended up sidelining him for several weeks, leading many to wonder if White’s rookie year was going to be a bust.

Fortunately, since the rookie’s return to the lineup he’s been a force to be reckoned with, and he has Bucs fans and coaches excited about the future of this young defense.

In Week 13’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, White made history by becoming the first rookie in franchise history to have an interception, fumble recovery and defensive touchdown in the same game. Did I mention he did all that in the first quarter?

White’s big day helped the Buccaneers secure the 28-11 win, and head coach Bruce Arians sung the rookie’s praises after the game.

Take a look.

[lawrence-related id=25673,25665,25653,25643]