Difficult life leads to NFL promise

Dewayne White, the Bucs' first pick in the draft, refuses to let tragedy drag him down.

[AP photo] Dewayne White was the Conference USA defensive player of the year in 2001.

TAMPA - On one of the biggest days of his life, instead of watching the NFL draft, Dewayne White was doing laundry.

He was at his aunt's house in Marbury, Ala., separating the wash, emptying the dryer and folding clothes.

As he has been much of his life, White was alone.

Solitude is no stranger to the Louisville defensive lineman.

His father died when he was 2 months old. When he was 8, his stepfather, Lloyd Pettiway, was paralyzed by a gunshot wound. When he was 14, his mother, Carolyn, was diagnosed with bone cancer and he moved in with his paternal grandmother, Hazel Gipson. Two years later, his mother died at 34. Two of the homes he lived in as a child were destroyed by fire.

"At times in anybody's life, you feel like, "Man, why is this happening to me?"' White said. "It was just a drive inside of me that I knew if I kept working hard, good things are going to eventually come. If you keep staying in the weight room and doing things right, good things are going to come to you. That's what I believe in. Even when bad times come, keep working toward it, it's going to happen. That's what I believe and it happened to me."

White's hard work and perseverance paid off Saturday when he was drafted in the second round by the Bucs, 64th overall.

With their third-round choice, the final pick in Day1, the Bucs selected Texas quarterback Chris Simms, the son of Giants Super Bowl quarterback Phil Simms. He becomes the sixth quarterback on Tampa Bay's roster.

White, 6 feet 2, 273 pounds, is the Conference USA career sack leader with 37.5. He is projected as a backup at left defensive end to Greg Spires but also could see action at tackle. He was the next-to-last player on the Bucs' hot list when they made their first selection.

"A number of them ticked away and then thankfully Dewayne remained," general manager Rich McKay said. "We like the player. We've tried to be in our drafts, and will continue to be, about production. I don't know that you're going to get a more productive player than Dewayne."

Certainly, it would be hard to find one that has been more touched by tragedy.

But when you don't let major obstacles in life slow you down, what chance does an offensive lineman have?

White displayed drive, committing to school and sports, working at a Dairy Queen after practice and on weekends to support himself and even purchase a car at age 15.

"It's unbelievable for any human being, especially at his age, to have to go through that and to be a stronger person and a better person coming out of it," said Bucs tight ends coach Art Valero, who was White's offensive line coach at Louisville two years ago. "His father dies when he's young. His mother dies when he's in his adolescent years. He just hadn't even grown up yet. He was basically taking care of his brother and sister while living with his father's mother, who raised him.

"In high school, he's a running back and linebacker and has a scholarship to go to Alabama or Auburn. He has a knee injury, they back off on him, we got him. As a true freshman, he comes up and the first day of freshman practice, somebody breaks into his car, steals all his CDs, and basically, that's all he has. Instead of getting upset, he just kind of filled out a police report and very methodically said, "You know what? That's not why I'm here.' He's just one of those guys."

White's compelling story and achievement resulted in him being named the recipient of the 2002 Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award.

"It feels kind of strange getting an award for my life," White said.

It was White's ability that caught Tampa Bay's attention. In a draft unusually loaded with defensive linemen - a record 11 were taken in the first round - the Bucs were surprised to see White available.

"It's a dream come true," White said. "They have the best defensive line in the National Football League and just to be able to go and play with those guys and learn from the veterans' experience. ... I feel blessed that they picked me. It would've been great if I had gone higher, but this is the best place for me."

Finding a place for White will be the job of Bucs defensive line coach Rod Marinelli, who believes the Cardinals' star can contribute as a rookie.

"His instincts are excellent. He's got the ability to become a speed rusher as well as a power rusher," Marinelli said. "I see a guy who's very humble, very hard-working, understands what hard work is and I think he'll come into the group and those guys will welcome him with open arms. To do the things he has done as a ballplayer and the adversity he's had, it's going to pay off for him."

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