White’s Bucs Camp Diary: I Want To Compete For The Starting Job

Pewter Report’s Bucs Camp Diaries, a popular training camp feature on PewterReport.com, returns in 2022. We are fortunate to have two really good players to profile in veteran defensive end Pat O’Connor and rookie running back Rachaad White, the Bucs’ third-round pick.

O’Connor will offer up his perspective of Todd Bowles’ defense and special teams. White will take readers through the experience of rookie life in his first training camp in Tampa Bay in the Bucs offense. Look for O’Connor and White’s Bucs Camp Diaries each week throughout training camp and the preseason.

White is assured of making the team, but he doesn’t just want to be a backup. He has his sights set on being the Bucs’ starting running back. Tampa Bay signed Leonard Fournette to a three-year, $21-million contract, so that might not happen during his rookie season. But White could move past Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Giovani Bernard on the depth chart and claim the RB2 spot this year with a great camp and preseason. White is an elusive runner with great hands and will prove to be a weapon on all three downs for the Bucs in 2022.

I Want To Compete For The Starting Job

By Rachaad White as told to Scott Reynolds

I’m very excited to report for my first training camp. The Bucs are a great organization with a great fan base and a great history of winning. We’ve got our goals for the upcoming season and for me it’s very exciting. I’ve been put in a wonderful situation with this lovely fan base behind us, cheering us on. We’re ready to win.

The rookies reported on Saturday and it’s always great to get in early and get into a routine and talk with the coaches and get a better understanding of training camp and what it’s going to look like. Obviously, this is a different environment and a huge change from college. I’ve been getting that rapport with the quarterbacks, catching passes from Blaine [Gabbert] and Kyle [Trask]. We’ve been doing some walk-thrus and getting ready.

This summer has flown by. Time always flies by for me. I’ve been grinding and trying to get better at my craft and being a better running back. And also being a better father and a better man during this time, making sure my family is straight. My daughter and my lady have relocated to Tampa, and we got everything situated over the summer.

Adjusting To Tampa’s Heat & Humidity

I’ve been able to adjust to the heat and humidity in Tampa this summer. I’ve been out training in it on my own and at the Bucs facility with the workouts given to me by the coaches and trainers. I understand the workouts they’ve had written up for me this summer and I’ve done those. I feel like I’m prepared, but football shape is different.

You can do all the conditioning and running you want in the offseason, but it’s different with the pads and the helmet on. When you run around out there with the gear on, you’re like, “Okay, this is football. This is different and I’ve got some more things I’ve got to work out with this heat.”

I can’t wait to put the pads on, play football and go out there and have fun getting ready to have a great season. Each day you get to compete and put your best foot forward. I’m very excited to put pads on. I’ve had them in my locker the last two weeks and I’ve wanted to throw them on, but then I said, “Nah, I’ll wait until camp starts and everyone else has them on.” I can’t wait to go out and compete. Football is a physical sport and I’ve missed that part of it. Now it’s coming back around.

White’s Goals For His Rookie Season

My biggest goal for my rookie season is to help the team win. That’s my goal – help the team win and be a huge contributor. I want to compete every day. That’s all I could ask for. I feel like winning takes care of everything else. Of course you have to win to get the awards that you want to win and reach the places you want to go. Winning is going to take care of all that. I want to compete for the starting job my rookie season and I want to be the guy, and be a huge contributor to the team’s success. I want our team to win as much as we can.

Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I’ve become close with all the guys – all the guys that were drafted and undrafted. I talk to a lot of the guys and we hang out and chop it up. Guys like Zyon McCollum, Logan Hall and Luke Goedeke – basically all the rookies. We have a solid bond we’ve formed.

We all went to the stadium – Raymond James Stadium – for the first time recently. It was lovely! I was ready to play that day. I wanted to play a game. Being in that stadium with the cannons firing – it brought a lot of joy and excitement to a guy like me that really loves football. I’m passionate about football and I want to be great. I give it my best – I give my all to this game. When I was at the stadium I had tears in my eyes. I’ve never been in an NFL stadium before. That was my first time. I was grateful and appreciative of the experience – and blessed.

Grateful For Tom Brady & The Bucs Fan Base

Speaking of being blessed, it’s finally sunk in that Tom Brady is my quarterback. I’m just happy to have a guy like that in the building that I can learn from and play with. I’m grateful and blessed to be drafted where I was drafted, and to be a Buccaneer with this fan base. I can’t wait to watch Tom do his mastery and see his poise, and how he carries himself. It’s a real blessing.

You can follow me on my social media accounts – chaad_3 on Instagram and Twitter. That’s where you can find me. I want to say that I’m grateful to be here doing this diary and to be a part of Bucs nation. I can’t wait to see you guys come out to training camp and bring that juice and that energy for us. Be yourself, be you – and have fun. We would love you guys to come out, kick it with us, have fun and watch us do what we love to do.

Follow Rachaad White on Twitter

@chaad_3

Follow Rachaad White on Instagram

@chaad_3

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