New England Patriots running back James White played Monday night with a heavy heart in his first game since his father tragically died in a car accident two weeks ago.
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said it meant a lot to coaches and players to have the offensive captain back on the field in New England’s 26-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
White carried the ball three times for 21 yards and caught seven passes for 38 yards Monday.
“James is a special individual, and he was that way when he got here,” McDaniels said Tuesday. “I think that’s a tribute to the way his parents raised him and the kind of human being he is and he’s developed into. He’s a very mature young man. He’s very unselfish. He’s always been one of the finest teammates that I will ever coach. And he’s always prepared to do his job very well. And he has the rare ability to listen to something in a meeting and then perform it exactly that way on the field. He’s been able to do that really his whole career here.”
Patriots cornerback and defensive captain Jason McCourty said two weeks ago that he once asked McDaniels why White doesn’t get yelled at in practice. McCourty passed along that White has the ability to learn something in training camp and carry that note throughout the rest of the season.
“James doesn’t get yelled at on the practice field because James basically does his job the right way when he’s out there every snap,” McDaniels followed up Tuesday. “To have him come back and perform well in the snaps he was out there and get back in practice, I think that was all part of the process that he’s going to go through. We’ll all be here to support him.
“I told my kids last week if they grew up to be like James White, then me and their mother would have done a good job, and I think that’s one of the best compliments we could say about him.”
