Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com SEPT. 30, 2019 19 BY TODD D. BURLAGE B ased on his prep player pro- file, Notre Dame redshirt ju- nior Drew White finds that being called a "big surprise" in becoming the Irish starting Mike linebacker this season is, well, a "big surprise" … and understandably so. White was a two-year starting mid- dle linebacker and a team captain in 2015-16 at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in talent-rich South Florida. He led his Raiders in tackles each of his two seasons starting there, re- cording more than 100 stops in both his junior and senior campaigns, and he anchored a defense on a team that won state titles both of those years. Yet, even with a solid prep résumé from a national football power, most recruiting services still rated White as only a three-star recruit in 2017 — and even lower than that. "When people reference me as be- ing a 'surprise,' it always comes from the ratings," said White, who still held scholarship offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and LSU, just to name a few. "It was something that I never really looked at, never paid too much attention to." A lightweight recruiting profile, a history of injuries and playing be- hind some stout Irish veterans all fac- tor into why White remained some- what anonymous during his first two seasons at Notre Dame. And, at 6-0 and 230 pounds, White doesn't necessarily impress as a physically imposing figure in the middle of the Irish defense. "I came from St. Thomas Aquinas, I think the best high school in the na- tion," said White, who redshirted his true freshman year at Notre Dame in 2017. "I never really saw myself as a surprise." Beyond the obvious, Aquinas head football coach Roger Harriott added another theory as to why White didn't immediately grab much at- tention or many headlines during his first two seasons at Notre Dame. "He is somewhat inconspicuous," Harriott explained. "So you don't expect him to move that fast, or be as physical and as strong as he is be- cause he's not overly animated. "I think sometimes he goes un- noticed because he's humble and doesn't call attention to himself." White let his game speak for itself against Navy last season — the first and lone extended action of his ca- reer prior to becoming an opening- day starter this year. With veteran linebacker Drue Tran- quill out with an ankle injury, White was asked to start and defend Navy's complex triple-option rushing attack. He responded with six tackles in a 44-22 Irish win and left numerous Irish fans checking their rosters and asking, "Who the heck is No. 40?" "I already believed that I was ready to play at this level, and I was just waiting for my shot," White recalled. "But definitely the Navy game gave me a boost of confidence and showed me that I'm ready." Yet, upon Tranquill's return to the lineup post-Navy, White played only four snaps the final five games of last season. "I wouldn't call that a disappoint- ment," White added. "It was more excitement that I was able to help my team when they needed me and I was ready. I gained some trust." Beyond his duties patrolling the middle of the Irish defense, White also carries a heavy academic load in pursuit of a post-football career in the medical field. And who better to emulate on his professional path than current Notre Dame orthopedic surgeon Brian Rati- gan, an Irish linebacker from 1989-92 under coach Lou Holtz? Through two surgeries performed by Ratigan, and the subsequent re- habs, the patient and the doctor have perhaps gotten to know each other a bit too well. White suffered a major lower leg injury in the spring of 2018 and then broke his shoulder (AC joint) dur- ing spring break of 2019 in a "freak" snow skiing accident. "I wasn't even going fast, I fell awkwardly," White said of the mis- hap, not interested in elaborating. "I will not be going skiing again until after I'm done playing football." White also incurred a foot injury that cut short his junior season at Aquinas. "Having a lot of injuries, it's taught me a lot about myself," White said. "It's taught me that adversity can strike at any moment. "That plays a part when I come to practice. I'm going to bring my effort and energy every play, every prac- tice, because I've seen that it can go away really quick." Staying in the moment and leaving nothing to chance, White entered the Georgia game fourth on the team with nine total tackles. His three tackles for loss also tied for first on the Irish and he already had a sack, one pass broken up and one quarterback hurry. Production aside, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly continues to stress that White is far from a polished prod- uct and his playing time is not yet guaranteed week to week within a fluid linebacker group still searching for an identity and breakout players. "We've asked him to do some things, and he has done a nice job at really being consistent at it," Kelly said of White. "He's got some work to do. He has not arrived." So while the praise continues to be tempered, White continues to prove he's a quick healer, a valuable resource and a player who will "sur- prise," no matter all the injuries, sur- geries and position competition he is asked to overcome. "That guy's a winner," Irish de- fensive coordinator Clark Lea said of White's resiliency. "He's fought through adversity and hasn't wa- vered, hasn't backed down and has been counted out probably 100 times." ✦ THE 'SURPRISE' IS OUT Junior linebacker Drew White continues to fight through setbacks to make his impact felt in the lineup Entering the Georgia game, White led the Irish defense with three tackles for loss among his nine total stops, and also had a sack, one pass broken up and one quarterback hurry to his credit. PHOTO BY MIKE MILLER