Mike Linebacker Drew White Reflects 'Fighting Irish' Spirit
The story of fifth-year senior defensive back Shaun Crawford’s resilience has been well documented.
ACL tears in August of 2015 and 2018 sidelined him each of those two seasons, and a torn Achilles in the opening minutes of the second game in 2016 also shelved Crawford the remainder of that campaign.
Yet Crawford, the starting and playmaking nickel during Notre Dame’s bounce back season in 2017, has continued to distinguish himself as a top and valued option at safety, cornerback or nickel this August.
Competing with Crawford for greatest testament of fortitude is junior Mike linebacker Drew White. Every time he is all but written off as a potential factor in the lineup … there he is again at the top of the pecking order.
• Redshirted as a freshman in 2017, a broken ankle in the spring of 2018 put White out of commission and nowhere near the two-deep that fall … and then there he was replacing an injured Drue Tranquill (“Who the heck is No. 40?”) versus Navy, recording six tackles while effectively handling the triple option.
• Following that Navy game in which he took his first 54 snaps of his career, White played only four more snaps the remaining five games … and yet there he was again as the No. 1 Mike linebacker to begin 2019 spring drills.
• After three practices and then spring break, White was sidelined the final dozen practices for what turned out be a skiing accident during vacation that fractured the AC Joint in his shoulder … and now here is White again working primarily with the No. 1 unit at Mike.
A consensus three-star recruit coming out of superpower St. Thomas Aquinas, the Boca Raton, Fla., native has held off the challenges of more touted sophomores such as Shayne Simon, Bo Bauer and Jack Lamb, as well as more seasoned veterans such as Asmar Bilal (working mainly at Buck while also at Mike), Jordan Genmark Heath and Jonathan Jones, to potentially be the starting Mike.
Based on five open practices the media has seen, the reconstructed linebacker/rover spots also would feature Bilal at Buck and junior Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah at rover in the Sept. 2 opener at Louisville.
“If you look up the Mike linebacker in a dictionary, you'd probably find his body type and picture,” said head coach Brian Kelly of the 6-0, 230-pound White’s ascent. “He's a downhill player. One of the things that we were really looking for is the Mike linebacker to pull those double teams off of the two down linemen.
"He's been really consistent at doing that and playing downhill, pulling those double teams off and allowing Myron [Tagovailoa-Amosa] and [Kurt] Hinish to make some plays at the line of scrimmage. So that's really been his consistent forte, and that's what we need from that position. That's why you've seen him in there more and more.”
Based on alignments, down and distance, etc., there will be more of an inside-linebacker-by-committee look on this year’s defense than last year with graduated standouts Tranquill (Buck) and Te’von Coney (Mike). Thus, defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Clark Lea is a little more guarded about the assessment of White.
“He’s got so far to go,” Leas said. “It’s hard for us to have a finite mindset on this. Our goal is to win a national championship and for Drew White to keep coming to a level where we think he can perform on that stage in a manner where it gives our team a chance to win.
“What has given Drew a chance to be involved is I think he has incredible self-awareness. He knows exactly what his strengths are, what his weaknesses are. He doesn’t shy away from that. And so he tailors his approach to maximize.
“He’s got a really, really nice knack for finding the ball. Really good football instincts. That helps a lot too because as you’re still taking reps and learning the package, you’re able to find the football even when you’re making a mistake. Guys that play within their strengths and know where their weak points are, that kind of limits their exposure in that way.”
From a football family — brother Sean White was the starting quarterback at Auburn in 2016 before running into off-the-field issues — White played on three straight Class 7A state champions at St. Thomas Aquinas while excelling against premier competition. This included 14 stops (11 solo) against Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, the nation’s No. 1-ranked program, his senior year.
Although relatively under the radar with regard to star rankings, White did receive offers from the likes of LSU, Michigan and Ohio State, but relished the underdog role.
“I’ve always kind of been overlooked, starting when I was a kid,” he told Blue & Gold Illustrated after his senior year. “I’ve never had ginormous size, huge height or huge weight where someone has looked at me and thought, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s a great linebacker.’ I definitely have to prove it, and I think I’ve earned every bit of it.”
Never underestimate the “Three I’s" — instincts, intangibles and intestinal fortitude.
“That guy’s a winner,” Lea said. “He’s fought through adversity and hasn’t wavered, hasn’t backed down, has been counted out probably 100 times — and there’s something to be said about someone that resilient.
“He’s got a long way to go. To my point earlier, he has to earn it every day. We’re proud of him and the ground he’s covered, especially in the midst of the adversity he’s had.”
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