Exclusive Kevin White Pre-Draft Interview

Gatorade’s Evolution of Football panel (from left) Kevin White, Dante Fowler, Mike Ditka, Sage Steele, Rusty Jones, Leonard Williams.

Last night, thanks to the good people at Gatorade, I was lucky enough to participate in their Evolution of Football panel.  After the panel, I was able to sit down with Kevin White, former West Virginia wide receiver and top draft prospect.  Originally, I didn’t set up an interview with White, but after hearing him speak during the panel and hearing some buzz about where he might end up, I was able to squeeze in a few minutes with White.  Here’s a transcript of our chat.

Bear Goggles On: Earlier in the day I saw tweet come across from Around the NFL where you said you if you’re there at #7, you’re not going to get past the Bears.

Kevin White: Um… I would hope not.  If I do, so be it.

BGO: You met with the Bears, right?

KW: I did meet with the Bears.  I think I remember saying I hope that they would take me for the type of guy that I am on and off the field.  They talked highly about my game and we went over a lot of things.  But if they don’t take me, I’m not bitter or sad or anything.  It would be great to be here.

BGO: Do you think you can fill the big shoes left by Brandon Marshall leaving town?

KW: I’m not going to say fill the shoes of Brandon Marshall because he’s a great receiver who’s been doing it a long time, so I wouldn’t want to disrespect his game in any way.  I’m a rookie who didn’t do anything yet.  So playing the receiver position for the Bears I would do my best to try to produce on the field.  Try to produce as much as I can on the field, but as far as trying to fill his shoes, I don’t think a lot of guys could fill Brandon Marshall’s shoes.

BGO: With the Bears, comes Jay Cutler.  What do you know about Cutler?  What do you think of Cutler as a quarterback?

KW: I think Cutler has been doing it for a long time and think he’s a good quarterback.  I think he just needs a couple of pieces around him.  I would hope that if I’m there at #7 I could help him do that.

BGO: So what’s been the biggest surprise about the entire process.  From the time you declare for the draft until now coming out here [to Chicago] what’s been the biggest surprise along the way?

KW: Spending hours at the hospital during the Combine.  During the Combine they’re taking blood from you, they’re pulling on you, tugging on you.  You’ve got to go back for X-rays and MRI’s.  That was the biggest surprise for me.  Waking up at 5:30, taking a drug test and things like that.  Going to sleep late and waking up early was kind of a surprise.  But the whole hospital thing; if I said ‘sometimes my back gets tight, depending on how I sleep, [they would tell me] go get an X-ray on your back.’  It was very, very intense.  If I said ‘my thumb is sore.’  ‘Go get an X-ray on your thumb.’  That was the biggest surprise to me.

BGO: I know that some of the other top flight guys decided to skip coming to Chicago.  Did they miss out on anything?  What’s your experience been like coming here to Chicago and this part of the process, as you get close to the finish line?

KW: I think if they could have seen this and seen the activities and how everyone is acting, they would have definitely came.  I think skipping this is like skipping 12th grade and going straight to college.

BGO: Like skipping graduation.

KW: Yeah, yeah.  It’s a once in a lifetime.  You can never, ever get this back.  You can always get back a little time with your family and have a gathering.  You can do that when you go back home.  But this, the people in the media, the attention, the Play60 and meeting Roger Goodell, it’s amazing.

BGO: Good luck.  Hopefully you don’t leave Chicago.  Hopefully we don’t let you out of here.

KW: Hopefully not.  Hopefully not.

BGO: Congrats.  Good luck.

Next: The Chicago Bears Select Kevin White

What do you think of White?  Are you happy with the pick?