Keion White's first Patriots controversy lasted all of two minutes.
New England on Friday selected White, an athletic defensive end out of Georgia Tech, with the 46th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. And if you were watching the draft on NFL Network, you might've gotten the impression that White wasn't thrilled about landing with the Patriots.
You see, there's an obvious and simple explanation for all of this.
Some draft experts projected White to hear his name called during Round 1 on Thursday night. White even attended Day 1 of the draft in Kansas City, expecting to become a first-round pick. So, it probably is fair to assume he's motivated after sliding into Round 2.
Plus, ESPN's broadcast offered a more authentic view of White's reaction to being drafted by the Patriots.
White spoke with reporters on a conference call shortly after he was drafted. At the end of the call, he seemingly addressed the viral video -- without being asked about it.
"My phone's going crazy so I haven't even checked the notifications," White said from Atlanta after being asked whether he'd heard from any New England players. "Like, I don't know if y'all seen on TV, but I'm a pretty chill person. So, I'm not very explosive in excitement in any form. So, I've just kinda been taking it in."
White also was asked directly about attending the draft but not being selected in the first round.
"The draft was fine for me," he said. "I enjoyed my time there. Like, I got to experience going to an NFL draft. I'll never get to experience that ever again. ... So, you take the moment in. No matter where I got picked, I still got picked. And I still have to put work in after this point."
But will White carry a chip on his shoulder?
"Not any more than before," he said.
You can click here for more from White's conference call, along with what the Patriots are getting in the intriguing defensive line prospect.
