Roddy White – Atlanta Falcons Wide Receiver
Profile of Roddy White, a Game-Breaking NFL Football Wideout
Oct 8, 2009
Roddy White was close to becoming a classic first-round bust for the Atlanta Falcons. In his first two seasons, White caught only 29 and 30 passes respectively, and lost not only his starting job, but the trust and respect of his teammates.
But instead of turning into the classic story of talent wasted, Roddy White's story is one of a coach not giving up on the talented NFL prospect, and of a player deciding to turn his football career around after hitting bottom—a career now blessed by the arm of Matt Ryan.
Roddy White's Early NFL Career With the Falcons
During Roddy White's first two years with the Falcons, he developed a reckless and self-destructive lifestyle, earning a reputation early on for placing more importance on partying in Atlanta's club scene than on working on the practice field. As Michael Silver reported in his excellent 2008 profile of Roddy White for Yahoo! Sports:
Once White’s alleged workday ended, he was all about two things: socializing and eating.
“My first year, I watched no film, other than what I had to watch at the facility,” White recalls. “I was just content to be in the NFL – and I was partying it up, living the kind of lifestyle off the field that I should’ve been living on the field.
“There were times I’d be in the club all night, then go straight from the club to the facility. That was kind of like my lifestyle. We’d have a morning meeting, and I couldn’t even stay awake.”
White’s diet, he says, “was terrible. I gained a bunch of weight. I would go to McDonald’s, and I could eat four double cheeseburgers.”
Sometimes, while sitting at a restaurant, White would hear snippets of conversation from adjacent tables that he knew were directed at him. “All of a sudden,” White says, “you’d hear someone say, ‘Dropping a ball’ or ‘He ain’t no good … we need to trade him.’ I knew what they were talking about, and I knew which way things were headed. I wondered, are [the Falcons] ever gonna give me another chance?”
Roddy White Gets Second Chance With the Atlanta Falcons
White got that second chance in the form of a new coach: Terry Robiskie, brought in by Head Coach Mike Smith in 2008.
As Silver tells it, Robiskie showed up at White's house unannounced—he was living with his mother—and asked for her phone number, something which infuriated White:
“He said to my mom, ‘Give me your number, so when he’s in the clubs I can call you – and you can call him and tell him to go home.’ And she gave him her number! Ridiculous.”
Robiskie’s version? “Me and Roddy had a falling-out, so I went to his house. I talked to his mama, and she gave me permission to keep my foot up his ass.”
Roddy White Named to NFL Pro Bowl in 2008
Motivated by Robiskie, Roddy White's rout-running and work ethic improved dramatically, adding sound technique to already blazing speed. After a strong 1,000-plus yard season in 2007, White earned his first NFL Pro Bowl invitation after a 2008 season in which the Atlanta Falcons wideout had 1,382 yards receiving with seven touchdowns, helping lead the Falcons to a surprise playoff birth.
While rookie quarterback Matt Ryan had something to do with those numbers—Roddy White caught Ryan's first NFL pass for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions—if it hadn't been for White's change in ethic, he might have never been on the field in the first place.
Roddy White's 2009 Holdout and Production
After his Pro Bowl season, White held out while attempting to re-negotiate his contract with the Atlanta Falcons. After a deal was reached—6 years for some $50 million—White reported to camp in early August.
His 2009 numbers, however, were down significantly in the beginning of the year. After averaging around 85 yards-a-game from 2007-08, White averaged half that total through three games. While some of this might have had to do with the addition of star tight end Tony Gonzales and the collapse of the Falcons' running game, many wondered if White, after the holdout and huge contract, had lost focus again.
However, in week 5, Roddy White set the Atlanta Falcons' franchise record for receiving, amassing 210 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions against the San Francisco 49ers in a 45-10 blowout win for the Falcons.
The Mike Vick, Roddy White Connection
Roddy White grew close to Michael Vick when he quarterbacked the Atlanta Falcons, and was devastated by his friend's sudden demise when he was jailed for involvement in a dog-fighting ring. But while the situation was difficult for White, it may ultimately have been a blessing in disguise, as the situation not only acted as a sobering one for White, but set up the arrival and emergence of Matt Ryan, with whom White earned his Pro Bowl appearance.
Roddy White and Fantasy Football
Ever since White's Pro Bowl season with Matt Ryan, many fantasy football owners are now asking themselves, "Should I start Roddy White?" It's a good question, considering Matt Ryan is a legitimate star at quarterback. If White's production can return to his 2007-08 levels, when he averaged 85 yards a game, then the answer for most weeks is a resounding "yes," as White and Ryan continue to build chemistry.
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