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Clear skies. Low 73F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Updated: July 13, 2022 @ 1:58 pm
Former Ridgeview standout Lawrence White, center, is hoping to find his way back into pro football via the XFL Showcase later this month.
Former Ridgeview standout Lawrence White, center, is hoping to find his way back into pro football via the XFL Showcase later this month.
It’s hard to imagine a better landing spot for an undrafted free agent than the defending Super Bowl champions.
And while Lawrence White IV spent just under four months with Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers last offseason — recording four tackles in a pair of preseason appearances — he raves about the impact of his NFL opportunity. Everything from the way his teammates treated their bodies to their approaches to studying film left a mark on White.
“Experience of a lifetime, man,” he said. “I was able to be around some of the greatest athletes that have played the game of football.”
That experience came to an abrupt end when the Bucs released White on Aug. 22. In the year since, the Ridgeview alum has participated in Canadian Football League satellite camps, watched former Iowa State teammates like Jaquan Bailey and La’Michael Pettway succeed in the United States Football League and, most importantly, kept up his workout routine to stay in shape.
“You never know when that phone may ring,” White said.
On July 22, White has a chance to take his football future into his own hands at the XFL Showcase in Tempe, Ariz. With the help of his agent Patrick Sutton, White gained admittance to the initially sold-out event, where he expects to participate in individual drills such as the 40-yard dash and shuttles in a Pro Day-like environment.
The XFL, now in its third iteration, is scouting players in advance of its return to action under new ownership in February.
“I’m excited to see that league come back,” White said. “It was sad to see it kind of go under and the construction it went through, but I’m glad that Dwayne Johnson was able to bring it back with the help of some other people.”
White has plenty of supporters in Bakersfield, where he excelled as a two-sport star at Ridgeview, winning a pair of section championships before signing with Iowa State as a defensive back. Former Ridgeview coach Dennis Manning called him “our team leader, greatest competitor and a coachable dream,” plus “the best all-around football player I’ve ever coached,” in a text message to The Californian.
As for how his game could translate to the pros, his Wolf Pack defensive coordinator, Steve Tucker, believes White could become an “every-down defensive guy” in the XFL.
“I could see nothing but success given the chance,” Tucker said. “I know at the NFL level, when you come in as a free agent signing, non-drafted, it’s kind of tough to get in, but I think he has all the attributes that it would take to be successful at that (XFL) level.”
White was one of three players from the Wolf Pack to play in Ames in quick succession, along with Kamari Cotton-Moya and Sheldon Croney. For the Cyclones, he earned a pair of All-Big 12 Honorable Mention nods and helped the team win the Fiesta Bowl as a redshirt senior.
“To see that group, that nucleus, all gravitate to Iowa State, and all have success there,” Tucker said, “that was really exciting and I’m really proud of all of them.”
White went undrafted in 2021, when running back Kene Nwangwu was the only Cyclone to get picked, but signed promptly with Tampa Bay. He couldn’t stick, however, in a young, talented safety group with Mike Edwards, Jordan Whitehead and Antoine Winfield Jr.
White believes his intelligence, playmaking ability and competitive mindset — “No matter who lines up in front of you, you’re not going to let them be better than you” — will make him appealing to the XFL. It’s now up to him to get out on the field in Tempe and prove it.
Reporter Henry Greenstein can be reached at 661-395-7374. Follow him on Twitter: @HenryGreenstein.
Positive Cases Among Kern Residents:Â 263,145
Deaths: 2,478
Recovered and Presumed Recovered Residents: 248,513
Percentage of all cases that are unvaccinated:Â 73.99
Percentage of all hospitalizations that are unvaccinated:Â 83.36
Source: Kern County Public Health Services Department
Updated: 7/12/22
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