Blair White

[Don Wassall]

Colts' prez Bill Polian on White. Gives him the old back-hand compliment but at least he's getting a shot:

Q: Can you discuss how you found a player such as Blair White?
A: We felt he was a good player at Michigan State. He actually performed quite well at the (NFL Scouting) Combine, with numbers better than we thought he would put up in terms of running. His background is such â€" a walk-on, an academic All-American. Those are the kinds of players we really covet, because we know that they will always be ready when called upon. They might not be the greatest talent in the National Football League, but when they have all the kinds of intangibles that Blair has, you know you can count on them when the chips are down. That's exactly what happened Sunday.



Q: Can you update the status of wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Anthony Gonzalez?
A: I doubt that Anthony would be ready this weekend. I think it's probably a little ways away, although he is progressing. Pierre is a wait and see. I think we'll have to take a look at that as the week progresses, maybe even up through Friday or Saturday. I would presume that Blair would stay up (on the roster). I absolutely think he would. We really felt like he would have made the team anyway at the cut to 53, but for the injury status on the offensive line that required us to carry extra offensive linemen. I think he'll be up, and you'll see more of him.
full article: http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=article7&news_id=2ccf44d5-74c7-4867-875c-e9fade6fce8a

 

[Thrashen]

During the Colts-Broncos game, I believe Jim Nance mentioned that White was "just signed from the practice squad"Â￾ 6 or 7 different times.

After White easily scored over a "real athlete,"Â￾ Nance screamed out "last week he was a on the practice squad"¦this week he's catching a touchdown from Peyton Manning!"Â￾

It was obvious that Nance wanted White to succeed"¦and like almost every white athlete who's given an opportunity, he did.

 

[referendum]

Even if Blair White's status on the active roster is temporary, and the Colts try to put him back on the practice squad, hopefully some other teams will have paid attention to what he did while on the Colts and sign him. Perhaps knowing that, the Colts will be hesitant to put him back on PS when Garcon and/or Gonzalez are back in health.

 

[Electric Slide]

Nice little video clip about Blair White about what it takes to succeed in sports. I especially liked when he mentioned that there will be people along the way that will tell you that you can't do it or aren't as good as everyone else, etc. This was after last season but before the draft:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRibYlmKaEQ

 

[Quiet Speed]

Austin Collie is so great catching the ball out in front of his body, I hope he can get that thumb back in shape soon. In the meantime, go Blair White!

<h2 ="title" property="dc:title">First Down: Spooktacular numbers upcoming for The Blair White Project</h2> By Brad Evans</span></span>

<br clear="all">

Follow the Noise on Twitter. Your questions, commments and verbal jabs are strongly encouraged.

Forget Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers(notes),</span>
no monster has recently shaken Colts Nation more than the injury imp.
Over the past 10 days, fantasy's most diabolical creature has feasted on the flesh of several roster staples, leaving gaping holes in once formidable lineups.

The list of casualties reads like a Pro Bowl ballot.

Dallas Clark(notes),</span> done for the season after undergoing wrist surgery. Austin Collie(notes),</span> expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a hand injury. Joseph Addai(notes),</span> out for at least the next four games with nerve damage in his shoulder. And Anthony Gonzalez(notes),</span>
who would likely shatter his tailbone jumping into a pool of plastic
balls, sidelined indefinitely after reaggravating a high ankle sprain. (UPDATE: According to Fanhouse,
Gonzalez says the reinjury reports that surfaced over the weekend are
false. Though he's "optimistic" about seeing action in Week 8, he admits
he's still "recovering" and is "day-to-day." White's short-term value
will be dictated by Gonzalez's health. Stay tuned.)

"¨Most teams would never recover from such a slaughter. However, none are blessed with the healing power of Peyton Manning(notes).</span>

The
four-time MVP can turn garbage into gold. Because of his extraordinary
ability to command, deliver and teach, unheralded products are capable
of transforming instantly into viable lineup cogs. Pierre Garcon's(notes)</span> marvelous play at the end of last season along with Collie's rapid ascension this year are prime examples.

Rookie Blair White(notes),</span> a member of the practice squad roughly a month ago, could become Peyton's latest magical concoction. <a name="remaining-"></a>

Undrafted
last April, the former Michigan State standout has shown potential
during his brief stint in the league. Equipped with plus size (6-foot-2,
210-pounds), tremendous ball-tracking skills, considerable
intelligence, tacky hands and route-running savvy, he's an ideal
underneath target similar in style and substance as Miami's Davone Bess(notes).</span>

Most importantly, White is absolutely fearless.

In his first ever professional game Week 3 at Denver, the unintimidated receiver told Manning he could beat his defender on "a slant and go."Â￾ Sure enough, the youngster soon basked in touchdown glory, quickly earning the respect of his quarterback.

Now
expected to slide into Collie's vacant spot, The Project could post
supernatural numbers Halloween weekend and possibly beyond, especially
in PPR leagues.

This week, the Colts will try to avenge their
Week 1 loss to division rival Houston. Expect a pass-centered game-plan.
As educated fanatics know, the Texans have struggled containing
quarterbacks allowing 8.2 yards per attempt, the second-highest mark in
the NFL. Unsurprisingly, wide receivers have also excelled against them,
performing 19.7 percent above the league average.

Of course, Reggie Wayne(notes)</span>
and Garcon will be the primary vertical options, but with the running
game in flux, Manning will be forced to work the middle of the field, an
area of defensive vulnerability for Houston and a place where White
could thrive. On a pass-first team which has turned to the air
62.5-percent of the time, he should attract roughly 7-9 targets Monday
night. Newly anointed tight end starter Jacob Tamme(notes)</span> could also be a factor, particularly between the hashmarks, but is a rawer receiver in comparison.

As Manning remarked four weeks ago, any player is an injury away from making an impact. White's could be significant. Don't be frightened by the immediate schedule after Week 8.

In competitive formats where the Left Coast Mike Williams
isn't sipping margaritas in the free agent pool, the 98-percent
available wideout is a low-budget commodity which could strike fear into
the competition.

He might also calm a city under siege.

Fearless Forecast (Next five weeks): 27 receptions, 298 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns

--

 

[Quiet Speed]

Hmmm. I’m not too encouraged about Blair’s return to the NFL. It’s going to take the rare team to bring him on board. Hope I’m wrong.

Blair White faces possibility of early retirement from NFL after ...‎

 

[Don Wassall]

White has the smarts and long-term planning ability to fall back on a career as a dentist. Along with his athleticism and proven production as a free agent rookie, he's an intelligent, high-character guy; no wonder he's unwanted in the NFL.

The article linked by Quiet Speed above mentions that Denver seems to be the only possibility for him. That's in line with so many articles I've read about how Peyton Manning "made" White and Collie into serviceable NFL receivers. It's often said about Wes Welker and Tom Brady as well. No one ever considers that heady, athletic, consistently reliable receivers like Collie, White and Welker (and Stokley) have helped make Manning and Brady into all-time great quarterbacks, which is why Manning seems to always want such receivers and thrives with them.

 

[Quiet Speed]

Don’t know anything about Fantasy Football Metrics. Are they for real? They have nothing but praise for White. They like the idea of White in Denver or anywhere else. There’s even a not so adoring remark concerning Reggie Wayne. The entire article below is a pleasant surprise.

http://www.fantasyfootballmetrics.c...-with-every-interesting-wr-that-is-available/

 

[Don Wassall]

Wow, a fair fantasy football site when it comes to White players. I didn't think it was possible. That's the first one I've ever come across and I've looked at many. I have it bookmarked and will explore it further, thanks for the heads-up, Quiet Speed.

 

[northwinds]

My goodness.....how refreshing. Its nice to someone outside of CF "getting it"......:high5:

 

[Highlander]

Yeah, nice article. A refreshingly honest and fair site. It's along the line of "Moneyball" of MLB but an online and independent (of team) version...and something I mentioned on another post recently.

"Metrics" (outside of character and injuries) should be the sole measurement of a football player (or any other athlete.) Although we point these things out all the time here at CF, it's nice to have a site that is strictly dedicated to the quantifiable metrics of a player to support our cause, and a site (unlike those of "Weenieworld", et al) where "upside" is not one of those "quantifiable" metrics.

 

[bearclaw500]

The broncos signed Brandon Stokley. I was hoping they would have signed Blair White and maybe drafted Devon Wylie for the slot position.(Stokley has clearly lost a step over the last couple of years. Maybe with Manning he can have a comeback type year.)

 

[bearclaw500]

The Minnesota Vikings currently have only 4 wide receivers. Does it not appear to even the biggest caste whore that Blair White would at least be #3 in this group? I would be all over this if I were the Vikings, but then again, Leslie dismissed Deckers success last year, so I would not hold my breathe.




WR1 Percy Harvin Greg Camarillo
WR2 Devin Aromashodu Emmanuel Arceneaux

 

[dwid]

The Minnesota Vikings currently have only 4 wide receivers. Does it not appear to even the biggest caste whore that Blair White would at least be #3 in this group? I would be all over this if I were the Vikings, but then again, Leslie dismissed Deckers success last year, so I would not hold my breathe.




WR1 Percy Harvin Greg Camarillo
WR2 Devin Aromashodu Emmanuel Arceneaux

That would make too much sense being that White would be the most qualified outside receiver. Harvin is better suited for the slot, Camarillo is more of slot guy, but could play the number 2 role if needed.

 

[Thrashen]

White has the smarts and long-term planning ability to fall back on a career as a dentist. Along with his athleticism and proven production as a free agent rookie, he's an intelligent, high-character guy; no wonder he's unwanted in the NFL.

The article linked by Quiet Speed above mentions that Denver seems to be the only possibility for him. That's in line with so many articles I've read about how Peyton Manning "made" White and Collie into serviceable NFL receivers. It's often said about Wes Welker and Tom Brady as well. No one ever considers that heady, athletic, consistently reliable receivers like Collie, White and Welker (and Stokley) have helped make Manning and Brady into all-time great quarterbacks, which is why Manning seems to always want such receivers and thrives with them.

Great post concerning Blair White.

Despite being a star football receiver, a state champion ace baseball pitcher / power hitter, and a great basketball player at a Division III high school in Michigan (Nouvel Catholic Central), White was forced to walk-on at Michigan State.

CAPTION: High School State Champion Pitcher

After red-shirting in 2005, Blair earned his eventual starting role after two years of being a “white special teams demon” in 2006 and 2007. In 2008 (now a junior at MSU), White accumulated 43 catches for 659 yards and 1 TD. In 2009, now a senior, White made 70 catches for 990 yards and 9 TDs (the most TDs in the Big 10). He was certainly the best wide receiver in the Big 10 that season.

CAPTION: Blair Burns Brown Boy

Shockingly enough, White was invited to the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine, where he performed marvelously, running two 40-yard dashes of 4.42 sec and 4.46 sec, respectively. He displayed a 35 1/2-inch vertical jump, and a 10-foot broad jump.

CAPTION: White Wows Casteon Scouts

Of course, despite the fact that 27 receivers (including several white receivers such as Jordan Shipley, Kerry Meier, Eric Decker, Tim Toone, Marc Mariani, and Riley Cooper) were selected in the 2010 NFL draft, White went undrafted, with highly inferior black receivers such as Terrance Austin, David Gettis, Carlton Mitchell, and Armanti Edwards (who was a QB in college) selected instead.

In another surprising move, White was signed by the Colts after the draft. Early in the season, following injuries to the “real” receivers on the roster, White was called-up from the practice squad in September and immediately produced, amassing 36 catches for 355 yard and five touchdowns (and returning punts). However, these numbers are deceiving, as his playing time and receiving totals were utterly ravaged by the inglorious return of Pierre “Brick Hands” Garcon in Week #5.

CAPTION: Patrick Chung Torched By White (Man)

In limited action following Garcon’s return, White seemed to regularly draw the ire of Peyton “Silver Spoon” Manning, who would be seen shrieking violently at White for dropping several difficult passes or making (what Manning though) to be an incorrect route adjustment during a various plays. Of course, Manning exclusively reserved his nasty malcontent for Blair White and Austin Collie, never so much as scolding black “stars” Garcon and Reggie Wayne. Here is a quote from Blair about Manning’s absurd on-field treatment of him…

“Manning knows how to win. When you make rookie mistakes ... and I made my share ... he lets you know about it. I’m sure there were times when my mom (Vicki) saw him yelling at me and wanted to hit him. But he yells at me because he knows I can take it and learn from it. I see it as a compliment.”

Yeah, Vicky, I wanted to “hit him,” too. White wouldn’t fight back during these “tirade sessions,” always hanging his head in shame as Manning spit venom in his face.

Hopeufully, White’s unceremonious departure from the now-darkening Colts will allow his career to flourish elsewhere. Aside from being a highly intelligent young man with great character, he’s also a lean, fast, quick-twitch athlete with great hands and great leaping ability. If he’s ever permitted to start at the outside receiver position, his skill-set and body type would likely produce very similarly to that of the Chargers’ Vincent Jackson.

Blair White possesses every characteristic that the Zio-Marx-Corporate NFL never wanted in their athletes…light hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and all the talent to succeed despite the innumerable obstacles placed before him. Next season, I hope he finds a new home and sets the league ablaze.