The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended the first quarter of today’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a 15-0 lead, and they can thank rookie linebacker Devin White for that.
White, the fifth overall pick in April’s NFL draft, intercepted Jags quarterback Nick Foles on Jacksonville’s opening drive, which eventually led to a touchdown by Bucs running back Peyton Barber. Then, on Jacksonville’s next possession, Foles fumbled the ball after being sacked by Shaq Barrett, and lo and behold, White was there to scoop up the ball and take it 14 yards to the house.
Not only did White’s big first quarter help Tampa Bay build a comfortable lead, but he also made a bit of history along the way.
Take a look.
.@DevinWhite__40 is the first rookie in @Buccaneers history with an INT, fumble recovery and defensive TD in a single game.
He joins PIT Devin Bush (@_Dbush11) as the only rookies to do so this season.#TBvsJAX | #GoBucs
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) December 1, 2019
White has come on strong the second half of the season after struggling through the first few weeks. He battled tonsillitis in the week leading up to the team’s opener against the San Francisco 49ers and then suffered a knee sprain in Week 2’s win over the Carolina Panthers, which kept him out for several weeks.
Over the last month, however, White has been a beast, tackling punters and chasing down running backs. Now, he can add this piece of history to his ever-growing NFL resume.
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