FOXBORO, Mass. — Shortly after arriving at Gillette Stadium in early September, Patriots linebacker Tracy White noted a list of goals.
He was a team guy who cared first about team achievements — that’s why he was an appealing trade target for head coach Bill Belichick — but White’s top personal goal was impressive: He wanted to earn a trip to the Pro Bowl as a special teamer.
“It would mean a lot, and I know I’ve got a good bit of respect from a lot of teams and a lot of coaches, special teams-wise,” White reaffirmed Thursday. “It would mean a lot. That was the goal since I really took special teams as my No. 1 priority, so it would mean a lot. I’ll be honest. If I do, I do. If not, I’ll still be playing.”
White won’t be sure if that dream will come true until the rosters are announced next week, but he’ll surely be checking. White is tied with Matthew Slater for the team lead with 16 special teams tackles, and he’s had four games this season with multiple stops in coverage, including a season high of three in the Patriots’ special-teams showcase against the Dolphins in Week 4.
However, with the way some teams have game planned specifically to limit White, his stats might not be up to par to catch the eyes of the voters.
“I’ve played pretty well, made some mistakes and my tackles went down a little bit in a couple of games,” White said. “I might have a chance [to make the Pro Bowl]. Right now, I’m worried about the next game. It’s not on my mind about making it. I’ve just got to do my job. It’s according to the other people, the fans and the other players that vote. That’s out of my hands. I’m just worrying about the next game.”
White, who signed with the Seahawks in 2003 as an undrafted rookie out of Howard University, said he focused his craft on special teams in his second or third season in the NFL. He realized that’s why teams wanted him on their roster, and if that was going to be the case, he’d embrace that role and become the best special teamer he could possibly be.
Sounds just like a Belichick guy, doesn’t he?
“That’s my goal,” White said of excelling on special teams. “I want to be on top. If that’s my No. 1 job, I want to be the best at it.”
White has spent his offseasons studying tape of former Patriots special teams extraordinaire Larry Izzo, who made three Pro Bowl rosters, as well as Baltimore’s Brendon Ayanbadejo and Jacksonville’s Kassim Osgood. White looks at their techniques and tendencies, all in the name of maximizing his own ability in his niche.
And it’s paid off. Despite a dip in his statistical output, at least by his own standards, White has earned some of his greatest compliments from players and coaches after games. They’ve told him their top priority was to limit White’s production in coverage and force other players to beat them.
Maybe those same players will stuff the ballot in White’s favor, and he’ll earn a February trip to Hawaii.
“I’ve just got to keep my game up, try to make plays,” White said. “The voting, that’s down to the fans and the other players on the other teams. I’ll try to let my game speak for itself and go game to game like that.”
