New England Patriots: James White is wisely putting Super Bowl behind him
By Nick Ziegler
New England Patriots running back James White was one of the heroes of their Super Bowl win, but he isn’t dwelling on the past.
Coming into the postseason, not too many people would have predicted the impact that James White would have had.
During the regular season, White was mainly used as a receiver. In 2016, he totaled 60 receptions, 551 receiving yards, and five receiving touchdowns. While White did have a solid yards per carry average at 4.3, he didn’t run the ball often.
In the Super Bowl, White ended up having his best game of the season, as he totaled three total touchdowns, 14 receptions, and 139 total yards. Even though Tom Brady ended up with the MVP honors, White was certainly deserving.
This offseason, White is wisely trying to put the big performance in the past. While it was certainly a great game, 2017 is quickly approaching in New England.
"“I traveled a bunch, but that was about it. I’m trying to put that in the past. It’s a new season. Nobody cares about that anymore. I just have to get focused on this year,” he said to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.“I’m happy to still be here, happy to have more opportunities to be with this team. I’m just very excited,” he said to Reiss. “It’s definitely nice, but at the same time, you still have to work. Nothing is for certain. You have to go out and prove yourself each and every day.”"
Coming into 2017, White’s role with New England could be different. Instead of being just a pass-catcher out of the backfield, White might be asked to run the ball a bit more.
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Due to the Patriots letting LeGarrette Blount go this offseason, they will appear to have a running back by committee heading into the season. As one of the Super Bowl heroes, White should have a sizable role on the team once again. However, the addition of Rex Burkhead will make sure that White doesn’t settle on what he accomplished in Super Bowl LI.