MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — While Kevin White is acclimating to Division I football, he’s also watching video in hopes of emulating three top-notch NFL receivers: Julio Jones, Larry Fitzgerald and Brandon Marshall.
A junior college transfer who dazzled fans with a 46-yard catch-and-run touchdown during WVU’s spring game, White said he appreciates elements of each big-name player:
On Jones: “Julio’s real aggressive, real quick. He gets in and out of his break. He’s not all swagged up—he’s just a dog out there. That’s what I try to do, just be a dog. I don’t need too much swag or any extra equipment to make me look real good.”
On Fitzgerald: “His hands are real good and I like the way he attacks the ball.”
On Marshall: “I like his YAC (yards after catch). When he gets the ball he’s always juking or running someone over or stiff-arming them.”
Added White, who’s competing to replace Stedman Bailey and J.D. Woods at the outside receiver spots: “If I could combine those three I’d be a monster.”
So how does he feel about the nickname Julio FitzMarshall? “Yeah, I like that,” he said. “Let’s go with it.”
Yet even as he sets a Pro Bowl standard for himself, White occasionally struggles with confidence.
“He’s more than capable physically, but he needs to get the mindset that he’s THE guy,” said West Virginia offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson. “He doesn’t have a clue how good he could be.
“He needs to gain confidence, because when he plays confident, he’s tough. But there’s times when he doesn’t. There’s a different approach to being ‘the man’ versus being just one of the guys.”
White admitted to drawing Lonnie Galloway’s ire at times, but then again, the receivers coach has been extremely vocal when his guys get sloppy during drills.
“I think he likes doing it to be honest with you,” White said. “But he makes me better, though. I know I just can’t go out there and do whatever I want. I’ve got to go hard every play, and if don’t, I may move down the depth chart.”