Roddy White has remade his career

[hawkeye]

“When coach [Jim] Mora and his guys were here, I was eating a lot of cheeseburgers and going at about 215 [pounds],’’ White said. “When Paul Petrino came in, he sat me down and said, 'You need to get back to where you were in college.' I got back to around 205 to 208 and I suddenly realized I was moving faster and jumping higher. But it wasn’t just that. Paul Petrino worked me so hard and pushed me to string together good practices, go out there and do it every day.’’

Paul Petrino got some help from another source. In 2007, the Falcons brought in veteran wide receiver Joe Horn, in large part because they weren’t sure if White could play. But Horn ended up being part of the reason White has been playing so well in recent years.

“Playing with Joe was the best thing to ever happen to me,’’ White said. “He was a guy who had been to Pro Bowls and he took me under his wing and really taught me what this league is all about. He’s the one who made me realize what’s expected of you if you’re going to be a good pro. He’s the one who taught me that you have to prepare mentally every day and you have to go out and practice hard every day. He’s the one who showed me that this game takes so much more effort than I was putting into it.’’

“Before every game, Joe Horn sends a text,’’ White said. “It’s pretty simple. He just says, go out, play hard, play physical and play smart.’’

That’s what White has been doing, and that’s the other strange twist to all this. The guy who once couldn’t go past fast-food restaurants on the way home or stay out of the nightclubs is taking on the role Horn once did.

“You know, it’s hard to find a guy that will share information with you when we’re all competing for jobs,’’ White said. “But Joe did that with me and now I try to do it with Harry Douglas. I look at Harry like my little brother, but I also look at him as what I used to be before Joe came along. I’m always on Harry about working hard every day. The most important thing Joe taught me was that you have to put the game first.’’

White’s been doing that since 2007 and that’s what has put him among the best receivers in the NFL.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth

[madman88]

HD just may have a roddy white effect sooner then later, lets hope roddy can dish out wat he was taught to the youngster.....

Edited October 1, 2010 by madman88

[falken]

Interesting. When I've read articles in the past I always thought Roddy was crediting Bobby Petrino with his turn-around and not knowing he was talking about his brother Paul.

[FalconFanSince1970]

Interesting. When I've read articles in the past I always thought Roddy was crediting Bobby Petrino with his turn-around and not knowing he was talking about his brother Paul.

Bobby>>>>>Paul.

Quitrino is the real talent. As talented as he is he still sucks for goin AWOL in 2007.

[hawkeye]

Here's something else I like too.

“The thing with Matt is, he came in from the beginning and was asking what kind of routes I liked running and where I liked getting the ball and things like that,’’ White said. “When you do that, you’re both sort of volunteering ways to get better.’’

[M0D3RNW4RRIOR]

Interesting. When I've read articles in the past I always thought Roddy was crediting Bobby Petrino with his turn-around and not knowing he was talking about his brother Paul.

****, I had totally forgot Bobby Petrino coached here!/random

Edited October 1, 2010 by 3Point5SE

[slamee101]

One person who worked for the Falcons at the time White first arrived admitted the brass in Flowery Branch had a huge case of buyer's remorse after they saw White in his first training camp and through most of his first two seasons. That person said there was a moment during White’s rookie season when an assistant coach stood up in a meeting and said White simply wasn’t good enough to play in the NFL and there was no argument in response.

WOW!

[freebird310]

Yep, Paul Petrino was the one good thing to come out of the Pigtrino fiasco. I had read this before where Roddy said without PP he would not be where he is today. He is an excellent WR coach. He is the only guy I was hoping we retained from the Pigtrino era, though I liked Mike Zimmer as well .

[blackredfellow]

I dont even think Roddy has reached his peak yet. I think we will see him climb to the top of that mountain this season, and I think at least one season out of the next 3, he will be viewed as the best WR in the entire league.

[Chitown2ATL_Falcon]

“When coach [Jim] Mora and his guys were here, I was eating a lot of cheeseburgers and going at about 215 [pounds],’’ White said. “When Paul Petrino came in, he sat me down and said, 'You need to get back to where you were in college.' I got back to around 205 to 208 and I suddenly realized I was moving faster and jumping higher. But it wasn’t just that. Paul Petrino worked me so hard and pushed me to string together good practices, go out there and do it every day.’’

Paul Petrino got some help from another source. In 2007, the Falcons brought in veteran wide receiver Joe Horn, in large part because they weren’t sure if White could play. But Horn ended up being part of the reason White has been playing so well in recent years.

“Playing with Joe was the best thing to ever happen to me,’’ White said. “He was a guy who had been to Pro Bowls and he took me under his wing and really taught me what this league is all about. He’s the one who made me realize what’s expected of you if you’re going to be a good pro. He’s the one who taught me that you have to prepare mentally every day and you have to go out and practice hard every day. He’s the one who showed me that this game takes so much more effort than I was putting into it.’’

“Before every game, Joe Horn sends a text,’’ White said. “It’s pretty simple. He just says, go out, play hard, play physical and play smart.’’

That’s what White has been doing, and that’s the other strange twist to all this. The guy who once couldn’t go past fast-food restaurants on the way home or stay out of the nightclubs is taking on the role Horn once did.

“You know, it’s hard to find a guy that will share information with you when we’re all competing for jobs,’’ White said. “But Joe did that with me and now I try to do it with Harry Douglas. I look at Harry like my little brother, but I also look at him as what I used to be before Joe came along. I’m always on Harry about working hard every day. The most important thing Joe taught me was that you have to put the game first.’’

White’s been doing that since 2007 and that’s what has put him among the best receivers in the NFL.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth

Sorry I duplicated this post. Also, Joe Horn had more an effect on White, than most people realized. I always suspected as much, but this article confirms. What's even better is Horn texts White every game to remind him of what got him here in the first place. Great article by Pat.

[illest_will]

hmmm...he sees a lot of his pre-Pro Bowl form in HD? wonder if HD is having trouble transitioning to the rigors of NFL training.

[GTFalcon25]

Pat has really changed his tone since week one. In 3 weeks he's changed his mind about Matt Ryan being "elite", and now he's got Roddy as the top receiver in the south.

I don't necessarily disagree with him on either point, but it just feels like the Falcons are his new crush. Guess the Saints didn't put out enough for him.

[Shredman]

his behind the facemask was good aswell

heres why hes my fav falcon and the link to the full interview....

http://www.atlantafalcons.com/2010/10/behind-the-facemask-wide-receiver-roddy-white/

RW: “When we (the Falcons) lose. I hate losing at anything. When we lose a game, I’m sick for two days. The Monday and Tuesday after a loss is awful. I can’t wait to get back onto the practice field. I have got to get back on the field the next Sunday to make it right and get a win for my team and myself.”

RR: The Falcons are wearing their Throwback uniforms this weekend as part of the club’s Alumni Weekend celebration. Do you like the uniform — the original uniform worn by the 1966 Falcons?

RW: “That uniform is so hot. I love the Throwback uniforms. I think we should wear it three or four times every year because it’s such a good look. That uniform represents our history, our past and you have to wear that uniform with pride and respect and honor the players who played here previously. That uniform represents our franchise, and I am proud to wear it.”

[aerosmith67]

Pat has really changed his tone since week one. In 3 weeks he's changed his mind about Matt Ryan being "elite", and now he's got Roddy as the top receiver in the south.

I don't necessarily disagree with him on either point, but it just feels like the Falcons are his new crush. Guess the Saints didn't put out enough for him.

As Pat has admitted, it's his job to tear apart what he feels are bad performances, the Falcons didn't perform in Week 1, you don't write articles 3-4 weeks after the fact, on September 13th it looked like the Falcons were under-performing.

[aerosmith67]

One person who worked for the Falcons at the time White first arrived admitted the brass in Flowery Branch had a huge case of buyer's remorse after they saw White in his first training camp and through most of his first two seasons. That person said there was a moment during White’s rookie season when an assistant coach stood up in a meeting and said White simply wasn’t good enough to play in the NFL and there was no argument in response.

WOW!

Until he stopped going to McDonald's for nearly every meal, started receiving true coaching and learned what it was like to play as a Pro Bowl Player (from Joe Horn) White wasn't a great WR.

[slamee101]

Until he stopped going to McDonald's for nearly every meal, started receiving true coaching and learned what it was like to play as a Pro Bowl Player (from Joe Horn) White wasn't a great WR.

Yea, but saying he wasn't even good enough to play in the NFL...that was pretty harsh.

[HouseofEuphoria]

RW: That uniform is so hot. I love the Throwback uniforms. I think we should wear it three or four times every year because its such a good look. That uniform represents our history, our past and you have to wear that uniform with pride and respect and honor the players who played here previously. That uniform represents our franchise, and I am proud to wear it.

This is why i love Roddy White.

He's gonna have an awesome season.

Edited October 1, 2010 by HouseofEuphoria

[aerosmith67]

Yea, but saying he wasn't even good enough to play in the NFL...that was pretty harsh.

Let's be honest in 2005 we all cut him some slack, he was awful in 2006. The drops White made in 06 were horrendous.

[slamee101]

Let's be honest in 2005 we all cut him some slack, he was awful in 2006. The drops White made in 06 were horrendous.

Without question! Nobody was more critical than I was in '06. (I remember feeling like a lot of it had to do with our receiver coach as well though)

[madman88]

Let's be honest in 2005 we all cut him some slack, he was awful in 2006. The drops White made in 06 were horrendous.

i still remember that one long ball vick threw right in roddy hands and he dropped it, and jim mora fell to his knees and the crowed just let roddy have it.... i felt sorry for him.... glad he was able to turn it around in his third year....

Edited October 1, 2010 by madman88

[hawkeye]

Yep, Paul Petrino was the one good thing to come out of the Pigtrino fiasco. I had read this before where Roddy said without PP he would not be where he is today. He is an excellent WR coach. He is the only guy I was hoping we retained from the Pigtrino era, though I liked Mike Zimmer as well .

I wanted to keep Zimmer and Hue Jackson.

[Geneaut]

I wanted to keep Zimmer and Hue Jackson.

I liked Hue Jackson a lot.

[Geneaut]

This is my favorite Roddy "wake-up" article:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-thegameface120508

Roddy White was asleep in his Atlanta-area home on a hot afternoon last July. As he was catching a nap after a daylong charity golf tournament, his younger brother, Tyrone, startled him by opening the door to his room.

“Hey, your coach is here,” Tyrone said.

“What coach?” the Atlanta Falcons’ fourth-year wideout asked. “There can’t be a coach here.”

“There’s a guy here who says he’s your coach. And he’s in the kitchen talking to Mama.”

A few seconds later, Roddy walked in on a scene that ranked with his biggest nightmares: There was the Falcons’ first-year receivers coach, Terry Robiskie, breaking bread with White’s mother, Joenethia, and his grandmother and great-grandmother. Only one person in the room wasn’t smiling.

“Who told you where I live?” White demanded of Robiskie, “and what are you doing in my house?”

Now that White is on his way to his first Pro Bowl selection – he leads the NFC with 1,085 receiving yards, a key reason the Falcons (8-4) are the league’s most surprising playoff contender heading into Sunday’s game at New Orleans – he can look back and laugh at the incident. At the time, however, there was nothing funny about the sight of his hard-nosed position coach holding court with the trio of concerned women in his kitchen.

The background: During his first two NFL seasons, White had developed a deserved reputation for paying too much attention to partying and not enough to football. He was on the verge of washing out before a breakout ’07 campaign (83 catches, 1,202 yards, six TDs). Still, Robiskie, upon his arrival last February, felt the young receiver wasn’t exhibiting enough focus.

The issue came to a head during offseason workouts, at which point Robiskie asked White to give him his mother’s phone number. “No way,” White told him.

So Robiskie, a few weeks later, found White’s address and showed up unannounced.

Recalls White of Robiskie’s visit: “He said to my mom, ‘Give me your number, so when he’s in the clubs I can call you – and you can call him and tell him to go home.’ And she gave him her number! Ridiculous.”

Robiskie’s version? “Me and Roddy had a falling-out, so I went to his house. I talked to his mama, and she gave me permission to keep my foot up his ***.”

Edited October 1, 2010 by Geneaut

[Captain Falcon]

Pat has really changed his tone since week one. In 3 weeks he's changed his mind about Matt Ryan being "elite", and now he's got Roddy as the top receiver in the south.

I don't necessarily disagree with him on either point, but it just feels like the Falcons are his new crush. Guess the Saints didn't put out enough for him.

I think Roddy is by far the best receiver in the south. White >> Smith > Colston > Henderson > Jenkins > Moore > Meachem