Kyzir Rasim White (born March 24, 1996) is an American football linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at West Virginia and was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft.[1]
 White in 2017 | |||||||||||
| No. 7 – Arizona Cardinals | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | March 24, 1996 Macungie, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 234 lb (106 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Emmaus (Emmaus, Pennsylvania) | ||||||||||
| College: |
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| NFL draft: | 2018 / Round: 4 / Pick: 119 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
Early years
White played high school football at Emmaus High School in Pennsylvania's highly-competitive East Penn Conference,[2] where his play was highlighted by MaxPreps and other outlets highlighting top high school prospects.[3]
College career
Following two years at Lackawanna College, White committed to West Virginia, passing on scholarship opportunities from Pittsburgh, Arizona State, Louisville, and Illinois.[4] In his career at West Virginia, he recorded 152 total tackles, four sacks, three interceptions, nine passes defended, and four forced fumbles.[5]
Professional career
| External videos | |
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 Kyzir White's NFL Combine Workout | |
| NFL Draft Profile: Kyzir White |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+7⁄8 in (1.88 m) | 218 lb (99 kg) | 31+5⁄8 in (0.80 m) | 10+1⁄8 in (0.26 m) | 4.69 s | 1.55 s | 2.67 s | 4.26 s | 6.96 s | 35.5 in (0.90 m) | 9 ft 5 in (2.87 m) | 21 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine/West Virginia's Pro Day[6] | ||||||||||||
Los Angeles Chargers
2018
| External videos | |
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| "Chargers select Kyzir White at No. 119l |
In the 2018 NFL Draft, White was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth round (119th overall).[7] White was the 11th safety drafted in 2018.[8]
On May 13, 2018, the Chargers signed White to a four-year, $3.11 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $654,441.[9]
"It's hard for me to talk about Kyzir because I get real excited. I don't want to jump the gun on him. I want to get him in some games and watch him play, but just watching him run around here and some of the things he did in the offseason, I get real excited talking about him. His speed. His attitude. His explosiveness. He just has great instincts as a football player. We had a hammer on him (in the draft)."[10]
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During rookie minicamp in the 2018 season, Chargers' coaching staff announced their decision to move White to linebacker.[11] White adjusted to the new position quickly and immediately impressed coaching staff. During training camp, he began competing as the Chargers' starting weak side linebacker against Jatavis Brown.[12] Head coach Anthony Lynn named White the backup weakside linebacker behind Brown to start the regular season.[13] But an hour before kickoff in the Chargers' season-opener, it was reported Lynn has instead elected to start White alongside Kyle Emanuel and middle linebacker Denzel Perryman.[14]
White made his professional regular season debut and first career start on September 9, 2018, in the Chargers' season-opener against the Kansas City Chiefs and recorded six combined tackles in their 38–28 loss. On September 16, 2018, White recorded four solo tackles, broke up two passes, and made his first career interception during a 31–20 win at the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. He made his first career interception off a pass thrown by Bills' rookie quarterback Josh Allen intended for tight end Jason Croom, and returned it for a nine-yard gain in the game's fourth quarter.[15][16] In a Week 3 game at the Los Angeles Rams, White suffered a knee injury that required minor surgery, and he was inactive for the following four games (Weeks 4–8).[17] On November 3, 2018, the Chargers announced he was being placed on injured reserve.[18]
2019
In Week 5 of the 2019 season, White recorded an interception off Denver Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco in the Chargers' 20–13 loss.[19]
2020
White was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Chargers on November 21, 2020 during the 2020 season,[20] and was reactivated on December 9.[21] On December 23, 2020, White was placed on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury.[22]
2021
White entered the 2021 season as the Chargers' starting linebacker and finished the season as the team's leading tackler with 144 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles, three passes defensed, and two interceptions.
Philadelphia Eagles
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On March 26, 2022, White signed a one-year contract, worth up to $5 million, with the Philadelphia Eagles.[23][24] In the 2022 season with the Eagles, White and the Eagles reached Super Bowl LVII, where they lost 38–35 to the Chiefs. White had four tackles in Super Bowl LVII.[25]
Arizona Cardinals
On March 15, 2023, White signed a two-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals.[26]
Personal life
White has two brothers, Kevin and Ka'Raun, both of whom also played college football at Lackawanna before transferring to West Virginia.[4] White's older brother Kevin is a wide receiver who was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round in 2015 and later played with the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers.
References
External links
