When you meet Keion White in person, the first you notice about him is his size. He is a big man. He also has a serious demeanor and a face that could serve as the model for a bust in the Peo Football Hall of Fame. Maybe someday, White will end up there.
For now White is just focused on his first training camp and getting acclimated to playing in the NFL. He compared his experience so far to being a freshmen in college.
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“ I compare it to being a freshmen in college. You really don’t know anything, you need to learn. I am just taking a step, observing and trying to find my place on the team.”
White is versatile. He can line up anywhere in a front and make an impact. Whether it is as a defensive end, defensive tackle or a nose, White takes pride in being able to do a multitude of things within a scheme.
” The goal is to get better everyday, to improve my technique. The goal is to get better, everyday, day by day. White added: “I have always believed in doing more, not less. Whatever I can do, I am going to put under my belt whether it would three tech, outside linebacker, defensive end, nose. Anything I can do, I am going to go play it.”
White did indeed play everything during his time at both Old Dominion and Georgia Tech. He ended up having a monster Senior season with the Yellow Jackets racking up 54 tackles and 7.5 sacks. It is that production and size that almost made him a first round pick. In fact, the Patriots were linked to White in the first round but he fell to them in the second.
White might not have found a better landing spot for his skill set. He does not take for granted the opportunity that he has with the Patriots.
“You kind of work all your life to get to this point. You can’t just look forward to the games, you’ve got to look forward to the practices, too,” White said. “So I feel like I’ve gotten the opportunity to be here instead of, like, I have to be here.”
White’s maturity as a person is evident. When asked what areas he has seen improvement in his game, White said he has developed a better understanding of NFL offenses and how they operate.
Knowledge of the game, for sure,” he said. “Just being able to read offenses a little bit better and know what blocking combinations are coming. That’s definitely one thing I’ve improved on a lot.”
White certainly has the physical traits to be an elite level player and playing for an organization like the Patriots could take his game to the next level. Just listening to him to talk and the way he conducts himself, White is the perfect Patriot in many ways.