When the Chicago Bears open up offseason workouts on Monday, Kevin White will finally be able to fully participate. The receiver sat on the sideline his entire rookie season after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his shin.
After weighty 2015 expectations from being the No. 7 overall draft pick were wiped away by the nagging injury, White is running at full speed.
Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune relays the tale of White recently racing his best friend, Devon Blake, a former Lackawanna (Pa.) College receiver. White had already been cleared to run, but the biggest hurdle was trusting the surgically repaired leg.
Consider that hurdle cleared.
"The way he started," Blake said, "he was just gone."
"I was like, 'Ohhhhhhh, so he is back!'" said Ka'Raun White, Kevin's younger brother and a West Virginia receiver.
Blake, who used to beat White in these friendly competitions, said the Bears' receiver started taunting him half way through the race.
"Rubbing it in like Deion Sanders," Blake said laughing. "It looked effortless. He's even faster than he was, even stronger than he was (and) more fluid with his running. He looks a lot calmer when he's running. He surprised me."
The tale is sure to make Bears fans more comfortable entering offseason workouts. After Chicago jettisoned Brandon Marshall last year, White was expected to replace the veteran as Alshon Jeffery's sidekick. Instead they got a healthy dose of Marc Mariani.
With White returning, it will be as if Chicago got a extra first round pick in 2016.
"I just want to prove to the Bears that I can play in this league, earn a spot on the team and get respect from my teammates," White said.
He forgot to add production to his list of priorities. The trio of White, Jeffery and Eddie Royal has the potential to be one of the most diverse, deadly threesomes in the NFL, if all are healthy. At this point, that is a gargantuan "if" for all three.
For his part, White wants fans, teammates and the Bears brass to know one thing:
"Count on me."
They are, Kevin. They are.