PHOTO: New England Patriots
Throughout training camp and the first few weeks of the season, any time coach Belichick, Ivan Fears or a teammate has had the opportunity to praise James White’s leadership or compliment the type of man he is, they’ve done so at great length.
Belichick has said White is one of the few guys he will go to for an “honest assessment” of things going on with the team. How many guys can say that in their career? So, when White was carted off the field with a hip injury during Sunday’s loss to the Saints, nearly the entire Patriots team gathered around him to show some love.
White’s loss was immediately felt on the field and if the injury is in fact a season ending one, it will be felt off of it every single day as well.
“I think James is a great player, but he’s also a good person. He does everything right all the time,” said Mac Jones who has relied heavily on White’s experience early in his career. “It seems like he just goes about his business. He comes into work every day. It’s not like he’s cutting any corners short because he’s an older player and knows it all. He continues to work. That definitely sucked to see him go down. We’re all behind him 100 percent, and he’s a team leader, and he’s a great team leader, and he’s a great Patriot. We all want to be, if we can, like James. He’s a big role model for me. I hope he’s okay, and thoughts and prayers to him and his family.”
Fellow captain David Andrews was emotional talking about White following the game on Sunday.
“It is a tough part of this game and we don’t really know what happened, but you hate it and for a guy like that, who really does give his all to this team, day-in and day-out – The world could use some more James Whites,” he said.
Kendrick Bourne is new to the organization this year, but he too has always admired White from afar and even more so once becoming his teammate.
“I have always been a fan of him from just watching football throughout my life,” said Bourne. “I’ve seen James since I was young and then meeting him in person, it was like, “Wow he is who he looks like on TV.” So, to lose him is crucial, he is a very important guy on third down – really on all downs but especially on third downs. He is a problem for defenses and they have to watch him. We have some other guys who can help take his place so we can hold it down until he gets back but praying for him.”
Fellow wideout Jakobi Meyers echoed many of the same sentiments as Bourne and any other player who spoke about the injury when asked.
“It is going to hurt, because he is a great guy on the field and off the field and a lot of guys look up to James White,” said Meyers. “I know I do. So just seeing him laying down there and seeing him get put on the cart, it kind of makes your heart jump a little bit to your stomach. I mean we know we have to keep playing but losing someone like James White definitely hurt a little bit”
The Patriots’ running back room may be one of the most tight-knit groups in the league, so Brandon Bolden as understandably rattled by the situation.
“Same feelings when anybody get hurt, but when it’s one of the guys you run with, one of the guys who you train with, one of the guys that you bleed and sweat with, it kind of hits a little different, so prayers to him and hope he gets through it,” he said.
James White has shown an incredible amount of mental toughness over the past year dealing with family tragedy and seeing him go down on Sunday is one of the things that sucks about sports. The good news is, every single Patriots’ player and coach in that locker room will have his back and help him through whatever rehab is ahead. I’d be willing to bet quite a bit that can’t be said for every guy who gets injured in professional sports.
That’s the sign of a man who has truly earned the respect of everyone around him.