ProRodeo Sports News - February 19, 2021

football doesn’t define him. During the

different types of horses. We’re able to talk the same language. He and I are really, really tight. If I’m not able to go to one of his rodeos he’s always telling me what’s going on or he will send me videos of him competing. That guy is a beast at what he does, and it’s good to say I’m his friend.” White see parallels between taking care of horses and competing in the NFL. “You still have to provide that same work ethic that you have on the field,” White said. “Right now (in mid-February) we are going through a little snowstorm in Louisiana – and we never get snow – and you still have to go out there and feed the horses. You still have to find a way to get them water with everything being so cold and the pipes freezing. You have to be able to sacrifice, overcome and put in a lot more work.” Hanchey has knownWhite since the linebacker was a freshman at LSU. “I first met Devin at a NewOrleans Saints game when we were both there as fans,” Hanchey said. “I really connected with Devin when he was at LSU. I went to high school in Sulphur, La., with Tahj Jones, who played linebacker at LSU from 2010- 14 and that blossomed into having relationships with guys like Devin. Devin really loves horses and the Western way of life, and he’s from a small town in Louisiana like me, so it was easy for me to connect with him. “…Devin is simple, he’s country, and he wants to be on a horse if he’s not on a football field. He’s always asking me questions about roping, and when he’s done playing football, he wants to rope. I was pumped to see him win the Super Bowl.” BOOTS MAKE THE MAN White also has ties to the Western lifestyle in his choice of footwear. He’s sponsored by Justin Boots. “Growing up I really didn’t have a lot, but a boy can get a pair of boots and wear them forever and they are always going to be like they are brand new,” White said. “I went to this little store in one of our (nearby) towns and grabbed a pair of Justin Boots, and they stuck with me for a long time. That was my favorite brand, and when I turned pro we were able to make something happen (with Justin). It was kind of different being an athlete like myself having a boot endorsement. It was different, but both sides liked it and it’s been a great partnership ever since.” There’s a debate in football circles that White might be the best linebacker in the NFL. “I don’t think it’s an argument based off the film I put out this year (who the best linebacker in football is),” White said. “The type of plays and the type of attitude and mindset I bring to my team and me helping my team become the world champions. I don’t really care if I put myself No. 1 because I know at the end of the day, I know I’m good right now and I’m continuing to get better. If they say I’m the best, I’m the best. If they say I’m not, I’m not, but I’m going to keep working. People always say the sky’s the limit, but I feel like you can go beyond the sky.” White finished the regular season with 140 tackles (97 solo), nine sacks, four defensed passes, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery across 15 games. In three playoff games against NewOrleans, Green Bay and Kansas City –White missed the Bucs’ wild-card game against Washington after testing positive for COVID-19 –White had 38 tackles (27 solo), two fumble recoveries and two interceptions. “I did what I did last year,” White said. “That’s behind me. Now it’s time to work even harder and go even farther and do better than I did last year.”

offseason, he lives an hour from Shreveport,

La., on a ranch in Cotton Valley, a tiny town with just more than 1,000 people. Cotton Valley is where White grew up, and it’s led to his Western way of life. “I grew up in a small town where horses are all we knew,” said White, 23. “It was like riding a bike.

Riding horses is what everybody does in (Cotton

Tampa Bay linebacker Devin White pounds his chest after a play in Super Bowl LV.

Valley) so I just learned how to ride.”

HORSES ON PARADE

White has 15 Standardbred horses on his ranch. The Standardbred is an American horse breed best known for its ability in harness racing, where members of the breed compete at either a trot or a pace. Following Tampa’s Super Bowl victory, White requested a chance to ride his horse, Dream, with the Lombardi Trophy around Raymond James Stadium, the Buccaneers’ home and the home to Super Bowl LV. His bosses agreed. On Feb. 11, after the Bucs finished their boat parade, White saddled up and took his lap around the stadium. “That was a special moment,” White said. “It was something I had envisioned in my head if I ever won a Super Bowl that’s what I was going to do. It just so happened that it came a little bit earlier than anybody ever expected in my second year (in the NFL), but it was a great moment.” RODEO CONNECTIONS White doesn’t only own and ride horses, he also stays tuned into the PRCA through his friend Shane Hanchey, the 2013 Tie- down Roping World Champion. Hanchey, an 11-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier (2010-20), grew up in Sulphur, La., and is a fan of Louisiana State University football, where White was a star. White was drafted No. 5 overall in 2019 by Tampa Bay. “Shane and I are close, having that Louisiana connection,” White said. “He’s a great guy. He’s always looking out for me and I’m looking out for him. We share the same passion for LSU football and the same passion for horses as well, even though we have

Photos courtesy Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Devin White requested a chance to ride around Raymond James Stadium, home to Super Bowl LV, on his horse, Dream, with the Lombardi Trophy. On Feb. 11, after the Bucs finished their boat parade, White saddled up and took his lap around the stadium.

ProRodeo Sports News 2/19/2021

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