LB Devin White speaks on recent controversy
Linebacker Devin White has been in the news for quite some time since he was listed as inactive against the Green Bay Packers in Week 15. On Wednesday, he spoke to media to set the record straight.
White was initially reported as a healthy scratch for the Buccaneers against the Packers, but head coach Todd Bowles asserted after the game that White was inactive due to injury. White then made a social media post online implying that he was being disrespected, and on Wednesday, he spoke to media to clear up the situation.
White was asked how he felt when he was told that K.J. Britt would start over him by Todd Bowles after his injury, and he replied that he would support Britt whether he was playing or not.
“It didn’t sit [any type of] way with me. K.J. has been playing well all year since I’ve been out. I’m proud of him. That’s what we do.,” White said. “There’s never going to be [any] bumping heads about [anything] like that. At the end of the day, it’s all about winning.”
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Britt has played well recently in White’s stead, accounting for 16 total tackles in the two (and a half) games he has played for White. Bowles has told media that he intends to play Britt more because of this, and White told media that he would be okay with that outcome — he stressed that the linebackers group is a “brotherhood” and that they would all support each other regardless.
“That would be perfectly fine. They’re on a three-game winning streak, so that’s really good, because we’re trying to fight to get in the playoffs. I know there will be something for me to do to help contribute to that, whether it’s cheering them on even more,” White said. “If something like that were to come up, I’m embracing everything. I’ll be better and just go out there and do my thing when my number is called.”
Finally, White addressed some of the controversy surrounding him since the benching happened. Some sources — such as former cornerback Richard Sherman, who told personality Skip Bayless that White was upset being benched — went after White for a perceived bad attitude, and he made sure to tell the media that any reports about such things were not true.
“I’ve just been seeing a lot of stuff saying that I quit on my team. I don’t understand how I could do that when it was me and Coach [Todd] Bowles’ decision to sit down and rest to be able to help my team,” White said. “That’s the biggest thing that didn’t sit well with me because I’d never quit on my team. I love this game so much, I love competing so much. Out of everything, that just didn’t sit well with me.”
Finally, White did not want his recent controversy to take away from the great things Tampa Bay has been doing, including Baker Mayfield’s excellent performance and the team’s three-game win streak that was extended with a win at Lambeau Field.
“Baker [Mayfield] went crazy last week and we’re talking about Devin White,” White said. “I don’t think I should even be mentioned in a game where I didn’t play, didn’t contribute [anything] besides being the biggest cheerleader that I could be in Green Bay.”
