27-27. The Bills were a sitting duck just waiting to be shot. With just over 2 minutes to go, the game looked out of reach. Back to 3-3., our endless purgatory. And then, Tre White happened.
Tre’davious White was born January 16, 1995. At only 22 years old, he is wise beyond his years. His smile is infenctious. At only 5’11” 192 lbs., he is by no means a big man. But, he has a big smile and even bigger heart. A true family man.
In high school, he was a gifted athlete and student. In Shreveport, Louisiana, where he went to high school, the dropout rate is something like 60%. Somehow, however, Tre White made it. He was the first one in his family to go to college. Here is his take on going to his high school in Shreveport:
“If you graduated from high school in my neighborhood it was like having a college degree. There’s a slim chance of that,” said White. “There were 400 people in my freshman class and when I graduated we had maybe 80. That just tells you people take the wrong road and there’s a high chance that people take the wrong road where I’m from. I just wanted to be different.” (*buffalobills.com)
Not only did he graduate high school, he was valedictorian. Yes, some of you will say that is due to the fact that so many people dropped out. But, you have to give credit where credit is due. He made it. He earned that. Give them the respect he deserves. He took the right route and made the right decisions.
“I’ve got a lot of family members that took the wrong route. So I wanted to be the one who changed that cycle. I wanted to be known as the guy that did it the right way on both fronts on the field and in the classroom. I didn’t want to be known as just an athlete. So the time and effort I put into my sports were the same amount I put into my studies. Those things showed. It’s something I’m very proud of.” (*buffalobills.com)
His passion for his family almost led him to leave Louisiana State University early. He was a projected second round pick after his third year of college. And yet, he wanted to set the bar for his family. He wanted to graduate from college so that other members of his family did the same.
All the hard work paid off. The Bills selected him as the 27th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. What a steal. And then, he fulfilled a lifelong dream and graduated from college.
He has been killing it this year. Sure, he got torched by AJ Green. Most corners have. He blamed himself for the loss to the Bengals. He was crying after the loss because he felt he left his teammates down. He just wants to do best for his family. His Buffalo Bills teammates are now part of his family.
Tre’davious recovered the same fumble that he forced in the Bills 30-27 win over the Bucs on October 22nd. He was a big reason they won. He forced the fumble with just over 2 minutes to go when all hope seemed lost. The Bills are now 4-2 and he is a big reason for that. Realistically, the Bills might still miss the playoffs. But, he is a guy we can build a team around. A true character guy.
And yet, even after forcing and recovering a fumble in a crucial moment, he still felt he almost lost them the game again. He wants and expects perfection from himself. Anything less is mediocre and undesirable.
Remember his name. He has a bright future. Whether that means football or beyond. He is a guy we all root for. Keep doing you Tre. We are all witnessing a star in the making. Keep dancing and smiling. We are all rooting for you.
*buffalobills.com/news/articl-1/On-the-clock-Tre’davious-Whites-educated-decision/6aea5ad3-69a1-4749-ae84-6e7e5b660766
Street Smart Sports 