Keion White believes Bill Belichick’s mentorship makes the Patriots the best organization for rookies
"I feel like, as a rookie, there ain’t no better place to go to than the Patriots."
Defensive end Keion White is only a few months into his Patriots experience, but he’s already come away with a positive impression of Bill Belichick and the organization.
In an interview on the “Off The Leash with K9” podcast, the Patriots’ 2023 second-round pick detailed the early stages of his working relationship with New England’s head coach.
“I like Bill a lot,” White said. “Because he’s real honest. Like, he’s gonna tell you if you’re [expletive]-ing up, and if you’re not — and I can respect that. And then he knows every position. Like, knows from punt returner to running back to defensive end.
“He’ll stop practice and tell anybody what they’re doing. And I ain’t really ever had that from a head coach in my career. So, it’s been real dope to get knowledge from him. Like, he’s stopped and corrected me on techniques for defense, in the middle of a practice, for D-line.”
White shared that Belichick’s teachings have covered “simple stuff” such as cut-steps for a defensive lineman. But he also touted Belichick’s football knowledge, saying “he knows little things, big things, all that for every single position.”
That’s why White thinks he’s in as good of a spot as he can possibly be in for his rookie season.
“I feel like, as a rookie, there ain’t no better place to go to than the Patriots,” White proclaimed. “It’s gonna be work, it’s gonna be hard. But it’s gonna really set you up for the rest of your career in the league because you’re gonna have that foundation that the Patriots kind of set for you.”
Entering the 2023 NFL Draft, White was viewed by some draft analysts as a possible first-round pick before he was selected by the Patriots in the middle of the second round. The 6-foot-5, 285-pound defensive end produced well at Georgia Tech last season, recording 7.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss in 12 games.
Even though he’s 24, White could still be seen as a raw player. He didn’t start playing defensive end until the middle of his college career. Due to an ankle injury — along with the pandemic — White’s only had two full seasons of play at the position.
That’s why, White told reporters following Sunday’s training camp practice, he values the learning experiences he’s had with the team.
“Knowledge of the game, for sure,” White said about which area he’s improved at the most so far. “Just being able to read offenses a little bit better and know what blocking combinations are coming. That’s definitely one thing I’ve improved on a lot.”
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