No one can deny the impact inside linebacker Devin White had during his time with the Bucs. After being drafted fifth overall by Tampa Bay in 2019, White hit the ground running, putting together an impressive streak of games highlighted by his 2020 season in which he captained the Bucs defense that backed up quarterback Tom Brady and led them to a Super Bowl victory.

He was well on his way to following in Derrick Brooks’ footsteps and becoming the designated successor to Lavonte David.

This will continue the team’s elite play in this position into the 21st century.

But then his performance declined in 2022.

White demanded a transfer before the 2023 season. It was a year full of ups and downs.

Elite game in the season opener, followed by an injury in Week 3 against the Eagles. The ups and downs eventually led to his downfall, and he talked about “The Pivot Podcast”, He detailed how he went from being one of the league’s best inside linebackers to leaving Tampa Bay and signing a one-year, $4 million deal with the Eagles as a testament to his abilities.

“Get Live 45” had a lot to say.

“One particular person didn’t like that I wasn’t ready last season,” says Devin White

Bucs ILB Devin White – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

In his opening monologue on The Pivot Podcast, Eagles inside linebacker Devin White explained that he had his best training camp with the Bucs ahead of 2023 and is preparing to give it his all in his contract year to get paid.

After starting Week 1 against the Vikings with 12 total tackles and playing with more urgency, there was hope he would get on the right track. The only problem was his Week 3 move derailed on Monday night against the Eagles.

“Week 3, we played Monday night, so I turned around and played against the Eagles,” White said. “It’s kind of crazy to be here now — and that’s where I got hurt. I had a good game, 14-15 plays in, I ended up having to take on (left tackle) Jordan Mailata on the outside, late rush. (Running back D’Andre) Swift comes over and tries to block me deep, foot gets stuck in the ground.

“At the end they say, ‘Oh, you sprained your metatarsal.’ I say, ‘Man, I’m fine.’ You can brush off a metatarsal sprain without really knowing how serious it was. I’ll try to stay on the field as long as possible and I ended up playing the whole game. I intercepted a ball and ran out of the field. Everyone thought it was my thigh. I had no problems with my thigh. The more I stepped on my foot, the more it hurt.”

This injury would last for eight games before he was forced to sit out the games against the Panthers and Falcons. White tried to play despite the injury, but it was clear that he was not making any difference. – or his chances of a new contract.

Bucs ILB Devin White and Colts QB Gardner Minshew – Photo by: USA Today

“Every time I ran, it felt like someone stabbed me with a knife,” White said of playing despite the injury. “I got MRIs and stuff, and you see the bones and the edema and all that. But I still didn’t know, and I was like, ‘I’m going to be OK because I need those stats. I need to be All-Pro. I need to be Pro Bowl. I’m on a mission, you know?’ I would say I did more harm than good to myself and my team because I couldn’t be the best version of myself.”

Throughout all of this, head coach Todd Bowles defended his inside linebacker publicly to the media and privately, according to White, behind closed doors.

“When I say he was really a father figure, I’m not just saying that,” White added. “He said, ‘Man, I need you, and the only way I can use you and help you is if you help yourself. If you can’t do that, sit down.’ So we decided to sit down.”

White sat down, but when a certain person asked for him back, he thought he was in a rush. Did White mean General Manager Jason Licht?

“When I started looking good … a certain person wanted me to come back,” White said. “I felt like when I came back, I knew it, and he didn’t like that. He didn’t like that I wasn’t ready for his terms, and that’s when things really went downhill. Things were already going downhill when I asked for the trade … but when I asked for the trade and tried to do what was best for me, it turned everyone against me. Not everyone, but some people in higher positions.”

Bowles made some inconsistent comments after the game against Green Bay why White was not playing, but he was ultimately benched in favor of KJ Britt, the expected starter this season. He wouldn’t say who the “specific person” was, but the way he paints the picture, it wasn’t his head coach, who always seemed to hold him in high regard. – until the very end.

After Devin White left the Bucs, he moved to the Eagles with less money

With everything that happens after a 2022 season in which his efforts were questioned by Bucs Hall of Famer Warren Sappit perpetuated a narrative that Devin White believes he was created to be the “bad guy.” According to White, his former teammates on the Bucs still call him about his leadership qualities and say they miss them.

Bucs ILB Devin White – Photo by: USA Today

“If people want to tell a story about you, they can,” White said. “My guys in Tampa still call me and say they miss me, the locker room isn’t the same. But I was the bad guy. I really just want to go out there and have fun. I told a few people just the other day, ‘I’m just back in that mode’ where I don’t care about the business, it’s going to take care of itself because I’m a football player.”

With his time in Tampa Bay over, White jumped ship and joined the Eagles. He had bigger contracts but wanted to get back on the map.

“I took less to get here,” White added. “When free agency started, I got some bigger offers from other teams and (my agent) Tory (Dandy) knew I wanted to do a one-year deal because at the end of the day I wanted to get what I’m worth. I don’t want it to be over last year’s season. I took less because I felt like it was a better situation. That shows you it’s not about the money. It was never about the money. It’s about being in the right situation, the right environment and being able to have fun.”

He’s having fun and rebuilding himself in hopes of landing that game-changing deal. He believes it can still work out, and he’s eager to go out there and prove it. After crashing out in Tampa Bay after a hot start, time will tell if his passion has been reignited.

“I knew I had to rebuild myself, I had to show the world again, and I don’t mind,” White said.