Graduation was approaching, and Keion White was preparing to enlist in the military. His time playing football at Garner High School, just outside Raleigh, N.C., had been solid, but it hadn’t led to any college scholarship offers.
With no clear football future in sight, White began considering different branches of the military when, just two weeks before signing day, Old Dominion University surprised him with a scholarship offer. The ODU coaches had been impressed by his physical attributes and saw NFL potential in him — even if White hadn’t envisioned it himself.
College football wasn’t initially on White’s radar. In high school, he never settled into a true position, rotating between center, tight end, and linebacker. And, even as recently as six months before the New England Patriots selected him 46th overall in last year’s NFL Draft, White hadn’t given much thought to a career in the league.
Now, just 18 games into his professional career, White has emerged as one of the NFL’s breakout stars. He’s currently tied for second in the league with four sacks and has become a cornerstone of the Patriots’ defense, which is playing a critical role in keeping the team competitive this season. This week, the 1-1 Patriots head to New York to face the Jets on “Thursday Night Football.”
Keion White with the Opening Day strip sack 💪
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Keion White’s journey to becoming a top NFL draft pick was anything but conventional. Unlike many of his peers, White’s path was filled with uncertainty and career changes, as he continuously explored different options without fully realizing his potential in football. Before the NFL came into the picture, he worked as a bouncer, waiter, delivered pizzas for Domino’s, completed two corporate internships, and even pursued a career in real estate.
“You see so many players who don’t care what their major is because they’re focused solely on getting to the NFL,” said David Blackwell, White’s first defensive coordinator at Old Dominion. “With Keion, he had the physical tools and playing ability to succeed in the NFL, but he was probably the last person in the room to believe it.”
White initially went to Old Dominion as a tight end, redshirting his freshman year before starting the next season and catching 11 passes in eight games. At that time, he was seen primarily as a blocking tight end.
Then, Blackwell joined the coaching staff. Having faced Old Dominion previously, he remembered how physically imposing their tight ends were, and when he arrived, he saw White as a player with untapped defensive potential. Blackwell urged White to try switching to defensive end, and White agreed — with one condition: “If I suck, we could always move me back,” White recalled.
That spring, White dominated every drill, regardless of who he faced. It was clear: White was meant to be a defensive end. In his first season at the position in 2019, he recorded 3.5 sacks, showing immediate promise. However, the pandemic wiped out the following season, leaving White frustrated. He considered transferring, but since this was before the transfer portal rules changed, he would have had to sit out a year unless he graduated.
Determined, White explored his transfer options while working toward his degree in business real estate, keeping his future wide open until the NFL came calling.
As a rookie in 2023, Keion White was initially assigned No. 51 during training camp but switched to No. 99 after making the team, a subtle sign of his rising status. White’s journey to the NFL, however, was anything but typical. He chose Georgia Tech not just for football but for its strong academic reputation and the potential career opportunities in Atlanta. However, he had to wait until he graduated from Old Dominion before joining the football program. During that time, White looked for ways to stay active.
“He had plenty of time to play in the noon hoops pickup game,” said Andrew Thacker, Georgia Tech’s defensive coordinator.
But in one of those games, White’s foot slipped on a T-shirt left under the hoop. He slid into the wall, and when he looked down, his ankle was completely out of place.
“Like completely sideways,” White recalled.
After popping it back into place, he thought the injury was minor, figuring rest would be enough to recover. But X-rays revealed a more severe issue: a broken ankle that required surgery, sidelining him for the first eight games of his Georgia Tech debut in 2021.
Despite the setback, White remained committed to his new team, pushing through the pain to play hurt at the end of the season. During this time, it became clear White was different from many of his teammates. On bus rides to road games, while others scrolled through Instagram or played video games, White read books on real estate.
“He was the guy reading about real estate while everyone else was looking at Instagram,” Thacker said. “He had a unique maturity and perspective for a college athlete.”
White wasn’t interested in the typical distractions of college life, preferring quieter pursuits. This made him stand out to Larry Knight, Georgia Tech’s defensive line coach, who found himself unexpectedly crossing paths with White at a mimosa festival he’d attended with his girlfriend.
“He was the one player I had to worry about bumping into when I’m out,” Knight joked. “He’s at the places where 30-somethings go, then he’s in bed by 11. Most guys his age are just getting started at that time.”
By the end of the 2021 season, White had only started 13 games as a defensive lineman and recorded 3.5 sacks. The NFL seemed like a distant dream. He spent the summer working as a project estimator for a commercial construction company, but the job wasn’t for him.
“That’s when I realized, ‘OK, I’ve got to make this football thing work,’” White said.
In the 2022 season, he broke out with 7.5 sacks, catching the attention of NFL scouts. The New England Patriots drafted him in the second round, and a year later, he’s become one of their most exciting young players, a forceful pass rusher the team will rely on to pressure quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers.
Reflecting on his rapid rise, White marvels at how quickly things have changed — from pursuing a career in real estate to becoming a cornerstone of the Patriots’ defense. And as his former coach David Blackwell notes, “I think his best football is still ahead of him, even though he’s already playing at a really high level.”
(Top photo: Brian Fluharty / Imagn Images
