Cornerback Tre’Davious White enjoys full-circle moment in rejoining Bills a year after being cut

ORCHARD PARK N Y AP The last thing cornerback Tre Davious White requested was to leave Buffalo in the first place And the first thing White did after his season ended with Baltimore in the divisional playoff round and against the Bills of all teams was begin charting a path for his return I informed my agent if you can t get Buffalo on the line don t call me White disclosed Tuesday a day after reporting for the start of Buffalo s offseason workouts and to sign his one-year million contract Walking through the door the day prior it just seemed like I never left So several familiar faces Specific new faces too But I just feel in place the -year-old added I feel like home Buffalo is where White got his start as a first-round pick out of LSU It s where he spent seven NFL seasons building tight bonds and becoming into such a hockey fan he filmed several spoofs for the NHL s Buffalo Sabres to promote his fictional goalie academy And it was with the Bills where White enjoyed his biggest successes as a All-Pro selection and helping transform the organization into a winner Buffalo is also where he endured various lows White sustained two debilitating injuries including a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon that coupled with his high-priced contract led to him being cut in a salary cap-saving move in March Though he didn t hold a grudge against the Bills White took being cut hard because the injuries and the Bills payroll were things outside of his control That was the thing that hurt me the majority because I felt like I d still be a Buffalo Bill going into Year with one hat under my name And that s something I invariably yearned White stated But moving forward I got a bigger appreciation man Like this place is so so special White rejoins the Bills after splitting last season with two teams He initially signed with the Los Angeles Rams before being traded to Baltimore in November The time away from Buffalo was eye-opening because he was more accustomed to the civilization he helped establish in being the first member drafted under Bills coach Sean McDermott Upon his return White is driven to help finish what he started in winning a Super Bowl while seeking to reclaim his former job with Buffalo having a vacancy to fill after failing to re-sign Rasul Douglas Mentally and physically I m great noted White who acknowledged battling bouts of depression while spending time alone rehabbing his first injury a torn left knee ligament in My therapist advised me to leave the past in the past and that s what I m going to do he added The only thing that I can come and just do the best that I can and showcase my talents to the best of my ability General manager Brandon Beane saw progress in White s play over the lesson of last season and noted the athlete also has a leg up on the competition in being familiar with Buffalo s defensive system I think he definitely can compete for a starting job Beane noted And how can you not root for him Before the setbacks White had established himself as one of the NFL s top shutdown cornerbacks As a rookie he was one of only two NFL players to force five takeaways in the fourth quarter including two game-sealing interceptions In he finished tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions Since White ranks third among NFL players with second-half takeaways Last season White was relegated to mostly a reduced role in combining to appear in games including four starts in L A with no interceptions It felt foreign to White who detected himself following and rooting for the Bills from afar while staying in touch with former teammates including defensive back Taron Johnson I was telling Taron Y all win a Super Bowl with me like I m getting an honorary ring because I feel like I played a part in it White stated with a laugh The Bills fell short After beating Baltimore Buffalo was eliminated by Kansas City for the fourth time in five years and second time in the AFC championship encounter Now White gets an opportunity to play a hands-on role once again while fully appreciating the familiar surroundings Just sit back and just take it in and not try to think about the future or the past just be in the moment because you never know White declared Being back here where it all started is full circle And this is how it s supposed to be for me AP NFL https apnews com hub nfl Source