Patriots' Keion White talks about his move from tight end to defensive end in college
FOXBORO -- Keion White is an imposing figure on the New England defense, a guy that opposing quarterbacks would like to avoid as much as possible. What makes his defensive dominance all the more impressive is that White was on the other side of the ball to start his college career.
White double dipped while playing at Garner Magnet High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, starting at both defensive end and tight end. He exclusively played tight end in his first year at Old Dominion, and caught 11 passes for 124 yards as a freshman.
It was after that season when White started to become the game-wrecking defensive end that we see wreak havoc every weekend for the New England Patriots.
Keion White on his move from tight end to defensive end
"It was a crazy experience for me – but not really," White said of his position switch during a 1-on-1 interview with WBZ-TV's Dan Roche on Wednesday night's Patriots 1st Down.
Old Dominion coach Bobby Wilder approached White about making the move during 2019 spring practices following the departure of Oshane Ximines. The Monarchs needed someone else to rush the passer and set the edge, and the 6-foot-4 White was a great candidate.
His reaction?
"I was like, 'Whatever,'" White deadpanned to Roche. "I tried it for spring ball and was just running around."
That is pretty much White's reaction to anything. He'll do whatever his coaches ask, and he usually succeeds. And all that running around led to some pretty good numbers for White.
He was so focused on what he was doing on the field that White didn't even realize his own success in his new role.
Keion White had no idea what "TFL" meant
As a sophomore in 2019, White racked up 3.5 sacks and 32 solo tackles (and 64 total tackles) for Old Dominion. He also finished the year with 19 tackles for loss -- TFLs -- to tie a school record.
At the end of the season, White had no idea that he had put his name in the Old Dominion record books. He didn't even know what "TFL" meant.
"I didn't know if that was good, bad, or normal," he explained. "Ok, I had a couple of tackles. I didn't realize that was the school record until someone told me months later. I was just running around doing it.
"I thought I was messing up just running around mindlessly," he added.
White was messing up, but he was messing up the opposition's game plan. And that he didn't realize he was putting together a record-tying season goes with White's stoic and steady demeanor on the field.
"It comes from a viewpoint of never being too high or too low. There are going to be hills and there are going to be valleys, but if you can ride the wave and weather the storm throughout it all, you'll always come out on top," he said of his even-keeled approach.
White moved on from Old Dominion after that season and transferred to Georgia Tech. But because of COVID and an injury, he had to wait nearly two years to play football again. When he take the field for the Yellow Jackets in 2021, he did so as a much more mature player and leader.
"It was a different role, speaking up in locker room and being more vocal to the younger guys," he said. "Coaches did a good job easing me into that role. It was an opportunity to grow as a player and as a man."
White thrived as a leader in the locker room and along the defensive line at Georgia Tech. In 2023, he was drafted in the second round by the New England Patriots.
Keion White focused on his run-stuffing in second NFL season
White has already emerged as a terrifying pass-rusher in his second season with the Patriots. After recording just one sack and five QB hits as a rookie, he's up to four sacks and 12 QB hits through eight games in 2024.
But White doesn't want to be just a one-trick pony in the NFL. He understands that it's on his shoulder to set the edge on defense, and he's looking to become a better run-stuffer this year.
"I just try not to be a jack of all trades, master of none. I focus on one thing to improve on and it's my run stopping," said White. "Personally, I feel I've always been a person that can do everything and that's been the story of my career. It doesn't feel any different to me."
White has five TFLs this season, after recording three as a rookie.
"The Patriots defense is really different and that's one thing I learned when I came here. When you're on the edge of the defense, you really have to be dominant at the point of attack," he added. "That way you turn it back into the rest of the defense."
White is also tasked with dropping back into coverage on occasion, which he said brings a lot of responsibilities before the ball is even snapped. He said he struggled with that throughout his rookie season, but is pleased with the strides that he's made in that area in Year 2.
"Those things kind of slow down a bit," he said. "There are still a lot of things I can improve on, but I'm making strides."
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