$60,000 Paying Off For Rachaad White
December 11th, 2023
Joe had a locker room chat with Rachaad White after his second 100-yard rushing day of the season yesterday.
Rough first half, strong second half, not much to talk about there. It was all on the field.
Joe was more interested in chatting with White about his workhorse role. White now ranks alone in fourth among total touches in the NFL this season. He’s got 201 rushing attempts and 48 receptions with 4 games to play.
Those are big totals. White is on pace for 325 touches. Mike Alstott or Warrick Dunn never got close to that many. Doug Martin hit that total once, in 2015, when he was an All-Pro. That was the last 1,000-yard regular season by a Bucs running back.
So is White feeling worn down? He’s gotten more work this season than he did as a senior at Arizona State.
White explained to Joe that he feels “great,” his knee issue is behind him, and White said he credits his investment in his body. And that’s investment is about money as well as time.
White said he’s dropped about $60,000 on training-related expenses to get his body to the machine it is today. The effort is seven days a week, White said.
Joe often will hear about veteran players investing hunreds of thousands of dollars into trainers and chefs to help extend their careers. It’s not often that a 24-year-old, second-year player goes that route.
White sits at 745 yards rushing this season with a 3.7-yards-per-carry average. The latter stat isn’t good, but he’s been far better than that over the past three games.
Hitting the 1,000-yard mark is important to White, he said, but he doesn’t want fans to think he’ll be trying harder to get there in the final four games.
“I’m putting in the work every day, physically and mentally, regardless of the results,” White said. “I want to hit the 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns, but every day I’m more concerned with us winning and me being the best back I can be.”
December 11th, 2023 at 11:42 am
He’s a nice kid, can’t have too many team mates like that
December 11th, 2023 at 11:44 am
With an attitude like that he will be wearing a C on his jersey next year!
December 11th, 2023 at 11:45 am
I’m pulling for him!! The line slowly improving their play has really helped him. He’s got a fan in me!
December 11th, 2023 at 11:47 am
White’s a keeper Bucs need to get someone who can give him a meaningful breather during the game before they burn him out.
December 11th, 2023 at 11:49 am
People still crying about White averaging JUST 3.7 yards per carry but worship Alstott who averaged 3.7 yards per carry for his career. He’s a major threat in space but unfortunately, Canales can only manufacture plays that put him in space every once in a while. Seems the last two screen passes he caught have gone for long TDs.
December 11th, 2023 at 11:51 am
Those costs should be able to be expensed.
December 11th, 2023 at 11:57 am
@shorttrooper I’m pretty sure if he tried to get them expensed, the team would tell him “we already have trainers and equipment here. We are 10 steps ahead of you. You’re welcome”.
December 11th, 2023 at 12:00 pm
Short trooper, I think those tax rules have been changed the last couple years. I know in Canada forsure they have. Only way to get tax breaks on that stuff is to make yourself a business and get an LLC or whatever. Try to write that off as an individual, even as a pro athlete, and I don’t think it’s working.
White has been looking good. Wish he could drive ahead a bit better when taking on a single tackler, still lacks contact balance. Should have got that 3rd and 10 run yesterday 1 on 1 vs what looked to be a secondary player for ATL. Bucs need to add Thunder to his Lightning this off-season.
December 11th, 2023 at 12:06 pm
Tampabaybucfan Says:
December 11th, 2023 at 11:11 am
I’m starting to warm up to Rachaad White….think he was a good long-term pick……good back….great 3rd down back…..catches the ball, runs well in space…..if he can get a block, he moves the chains.
I posted this under IRA……
White is putting his money where his mouth is…..bully for him!!!
December 11th, 2023 at 12:08 pm
I’ve been impressed with him lately. He has really improved a lot. I think it’s because of skip Pete, the kid is learning to fight through tackles and run hard. Proud he is a Buc, hope he keeps it up.
December 11th, 2023 at 12:09 pm
A road grader full back would be a big help for him.
I wonder where we can find a 350+ guy who is quick, strong, with a little experience toting and catching a ball? VV
December 11th, 2023 at 12:09 pm
I cannot figure White out. He’s silky smooth in space but looks
almost lazy when running sometimes. He is a very poor after contact and doesn’t appear to run hard… yet he’s the engine of the offense at this point and is somewhat productive. Maddening.
December 11th, 2023 at 12:16 pm
Feed Rasheed…
December 11th, 2023 at 12:27 pm
With the right mindset and some luck he just might turn this thing around.
December 11th, 2023 at 12:28 pm
Not to mention the 60k is tax-deductible
December 11th, 2023 at 12:39 pm
Jason needs to get us a Thunder to go with White’s lightning. He’s a good pass catching back and has some quicks but still sucks hitting the hole fast and is disrupted by blades of grass like Pittman was
December 11th, 2023 at 12:47 pm
he’s toughening up out there in front of our very eyes…
he’s becoming an nfl back
#LessSmilesEqualsMoreMiles
December 11th, 2023 at 12:51 pm
White has been good all year. The blocking has sucked for most the year. We are going through a rebuild, get over it. We are not very good right now. We weren’t very good with the GOAT last year. We are still in 1st place in our division. This is what happens when you go all in for a superbowl! Stop being little €unts, we will be fine. Mayfield isn’t the long term answer but if Trask was we probably would know it. Would I like to see him play, yes but not unless we are out of the playoff hunt at this point. Can we win SB with this roster, probably not but everyone said the same thing about the Giants when they were 7-9 going against the GOAT. Have some faith and if not don’t be douche.
December 11th, 2023 at 12:55 pm
feed Chase Edmonds, dude knows how to hit the hole with burst
December 11th, 2023 at 12:57 pm
wish this dude all the best!
December 11th, 2023 at 1:19 pm
White is the best Catching RB TB has ever had!!
December 11th, 2023 at 1:33 pm
Off after a good performance White is Joe’s new BFF. Next week White will be a bum in Joe’s eyes if things don’t go well. So fickled at times.
December 11th, 2023 at 1:59 pm
Rachaad’s actually tall for an RB, and that means his strides are longer than other RB’s: this has the effect of appearing to be “slower-moving,” but it’s just an optical illusion. Edmonds is small, and that makes his strides with lower center of gravity make it look as if his legs are going a mile a minute.
Consider Gronk, for example: doesn’t Gronk look as if he’s “lumbering” when going out for the classic seam pass from the GOAT? But in reality he’s fricken moving good n’ fast; how do you think he gets the separation? He’s fast, it’s just that the long legs make it look slower than it is.
Speaking of Edmonds, looks great as a #2 to give Rachaad a break throughout a game. Canales worked that in pretty well Sunday, imo. Highly noticable difference from Vaughn; so that’s a relief if Edmonds keeps-it-up.
Also, the 3.7 average per carry definitely has to be qualified with regard to the level of the O-line; the rushing-stats are very impressive under the circumstances.
Fantasy football has Rachaad at #7 in the NFL.
On the nutrition/physical-training, etc. topic about Rachaad: remind you of anyone? “I told ja” Brady liked Rachaad and wanted him on the team.
December 11th, 2023 at 2:09 pm
White has very good hands. He and Otton are receiving threats just like the wideouts. His 31 yard score was a thing of beauty. He’s slowly maturing just like the OLine. Hopefully Canales will have a major epiphany and complement the talent on this offense this Sunday. They have their work cut out for them.
December 11th, 2023 at 2:30 pm
Over his past 5 games, he’s averaging around 73 yards per game and 4.1 yards per carry. If he keeps that average for the remaining games, he hits 1,000 yards. His two 100-yard games came against teams that were pretty banged up along their O-line, but still, #TEAMPOSITIVE signs.
December 11th, 2023 at 2:52 pm
Kid is going to be a stud !!!
December 11th, 2023 at 3:25 pm
I think the Michael Pittman comparison is fair, but Pittman should’ve been a Super Bowl MVP. He has some ugly runs where he doesn’t seem to know where he’s going, but often looks very athletic in the open field. I think he has a bright future – hopefully here.
December 11th, 2023 at 3:43 pm
Brady told us he was ahead of his time he’ll just get better and better
December 11th, 2023 at 4:35 pm
White became a much better running back the day Aaron Stinnie became a regular. Not a coincidence.
December 11th, 2023 at 6:05 pm
orlbucfan … ‘White has very good hands. He and Otton are receiving threats just like the wideouts. His 31 yard score was a thing of beauty. He’s slowly maturing just like the OLine.’
White’s doing better & better, but almost no one throws kudos towards the OLine. They have DEFINITELY IMPROVED in these most recent games. Bringing Stinnie in helped, but I think that it just took awhile for everything to gel. They did a good job yesterday I thought against Atlanta’s 7th-ranked defense (today they’re #12 however after surrendering 29 points).
December 11th, 2023 at 6:52 pm
i appreciate the guy giving us 7 days a week, and a good chunk of his take home money. i appreciate him taking both a physical beating and a mental one. Joe is usually right but this time i think joe is happy to be at least partly wrong about this kid’s total abilities. Joe is also often under pressure from guys like me that can really be both wrong and brutal sometimes, so he has pressure not be real patient.
I’d still like to upgrade the in general running game but this guy is going to continue to be important imo. with more cap money and more talent through the draft we will get better
BTW this has to be the best article this year by Joe imo and one of the best in all of sports. I had no idea about the money side of training.
Makes me appreciate all of the guys and what it takes to give us a program to be proud of.
December 11th, 2023 at 9:03 pm
Would LOVE to see white cross trained next year in a Debo type role . Frank Smith to the Bucs???
December 12th, 2023 at 2:07 am
White is growing on me Joe!
He ran hard Sunday and I can see that he is catching on to this Canales Zone run scheme along with his O line.
However there were a couple of plays late where he looked …slow?…Tired?
Go Bucs!
December 12th, 2023 at 4:20 am
Yall are high! White stinks!!! He should be a third down back. His ypc is horrible. He only shows up against the worst teams.
December 12th, 2023 at 6:17 am
I like what White has done this year. But if the Bucs really want to have him as a weapon long term they will need another quality back. A 300 carry season has
shortened a lot of good running backs career. I remember a story about Roger
Craig of the 49 ers who said he could barely get out of bed after some of his games.
He had to get in ice baths and needed a couple of days to feel decent again. Its one of the reasons I dislike Thursday night games. They don’ allow beat up players enough time to recuperate. Now its about which team can survive the rash of injuries they sustain to get to the big dance. But Hey why don’t they add
another game to schedule so owners profit in spite of the fact teams are not able to put their best product on the field. Injuries seem to be an unintended way to achieve parity in the NFL these days,I MO.
December 13th, 2023 at 7:53 am
@a Bucs fan nailed it.
He is maddening.
He is silky smooth in space.
He does look lazy.
He doesn’t seem to run hard.
Yet, he makes some sick moves sometimes.
He breaks ankles and tears other players ACL’s.
He deceptively big at 6-2.
He is going to finish the year with good stats.
And with this same line plus a 1st round center next year, he could easily average 4.0 ypc next season.
But Hainsey must become a backup.