Notre Dame LB Drew White Ready to Silence Critics Again

ma·​ni·​a·​cal | \ mə-ˈnī-ə-kəl

• exhibiting extremely wild or violent behavior.

Maniacal and linebacker seem like they go together. It’s a position where it takes a special attitude to have success each play because it’s played within a 15-yard box with 20 grown men hitting each other. 

It also defines Notre Dame linebacker Drew White. The 6-foot, 227-pounder isn’t the biggest backer in college football, but he’s got a big chip on his shoulder and brings a unique attitude to the position according to Irish defensive coordinator Clark Lea. 

“Drew is kind of like the against-all-odds member of the defense,” explained Lea. “He was counted out early on. I mean, he was hurt when he came in. He got hurt again. Then finally he was able to kind of scratch the lineup against Navy in 2018, and he hung in there for the remainder of the year.”

The former two-star recruit was overshadowed by elite recruits at national powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.). Overshadow might be a strong word, but four and five-star talent littered the roster and White was overlooked because of the same tangibles that Lea saw past. 

“What makes Drew special is his character, his personality, his competitive spirit,” stated Lea. “He's a guy that -- he is every day pushing himself. I don't know that I can think of a day where I remember taking the field -- in practice, I'm talking about -- and worried about where Drew's mind was or whether or not he was going to give everything he had.

“He is as consistent a player as I've ever coached in that respect and then it's not just about that, though. Like it's not just about the steadiness, right? That's important, but at some point you have to have an edge. You have to have a switch that's flipped.” 

Oh, that switch. It’s a good guy turned maniac for White. While he won’t get accused of split personalities, White admits he’s a different person when he steps on the football field. 

“That's something I've had kind of my whole career playing football,” laughed White. “I'm sure a lot of guys on the team as well can attest as well that I have a different personality off the field than what I have on the field. Coach (Brian) Kelly talks about your optimal zone and how some players have to play relaxed and some players have to get up to high tempo and high spirit to play well.

“I need to get myself excited and, I guess, maniacal to play well. It's just kind of how I've always been. I get on the field and have to play up-tempo. It helps me play well.”

Lea appreciates White’s attitude on the field, even if he sometimes blacks out because he’s so invested in the game. 

“He's maniacal on the field and you'll take that on your team every time,” Lea explained. “So that's really what's allowed him to flourish in this system is a skill set. He's got a skill set. He's a very good short-area player. He's a physical player, even though he's not the biggest.

“But honestly, it's the combination of this relentless preparation and focus and consistency off the field or in preparation and it's this maniacal attitude on the field where we always joke, like I said, he almost kind of blacks out during the game and just plays. It's fun to watch, and he's been a lot of fun to coach.”

The chip on White’s shoulder has become bigger as he’s heard what national narrative that Notre Dame can’t win when the lights are the brightest. 

“I think for a lot of the guys, sure, we hear it,” stated White. “We're aware of the noise, we call it. But it's really just about the guys in the locker room and about the brotherhood that I touched on before.

We're playing for each other. We're not playing for credit to the media or whoever's thinking we don't deserve a spot. We're playing for each other. We want to get to the National Championship. We want to win the National Championship for our teammates. So that's really what's propelling us is that right there.”

Notre Dame will take the field on Friday to play in the Rose Bowl and White will transform into his optimal zone. Who knows, maybe White and Notre Dame do the unexpected as he’s not supposed to be the starting Mike in a College Football Playoff game in the first place. 

“I've really always, I felt like, not gotten the credit that I thought I deserved,” said White. “But at the end of the day, I mean, I'm sitting here getting ready for the Rose Bowl and the College Football Playoff playing with a top defense in the country.

“It's not about the awards. It's about the respect that I can get from my teammates and the coaches in the locker room. As long as those guys have faith and trust in me, that's all I really care about. That's all I played for to begin with. For me, it's not really about the awards at all.