Bill Belichick Explains Why He Loves Talking With James White

Most all-time Patriots greats have something in common: They’re equally impactful off the football field as they are on the gridiron.

James White certainly falls under that category.

White has been as sure-handed as they come since he burst onto the NFL scene in 2015. He also became one of the most respected players in New England’s locker room, as well as one of the team’s best leaders.

The veteran running back probably doesn’t receive as much recognition as he deserves. But he was the subject of high praise from head coach Bill Belichick on Tuesday.

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“You know, as the coaching staff, he’s one of the players that I love to talk to,” Belichick told reporters. ‘How are things going? How do you think we’re doing? Where are we on this or where are we on that?’ He’s very honest and he has a good perspective. It’s not too high, not too low. It’s kind of very honest and helpful. It helps me prepare and manage the team. I’ve always done that with the players I’ve felt like had a good pulse on things. He’s certainly one of those guys.

“It shows up a lot in the captains’ meetings that we’ve had in previous years. We haven’t elected captains this year, but he does a great job in those meetings of verbalizing where we are, what we need to do, how we need to do it and so forth. As I said, I’ve really enjoyed my personal interactions with James and his views and his perspectives. I think he brings a great level of insight to our team but in his own style. And it’s an effective style. It’s just different than some of the other guys.”

It remains to be seen if White will be named a captain for the 2021 Patriots. But whether or not he has the label, the three-time Super Bowl champion surely will continue to be a great source of guidance in Foxboro.