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Raiders Rising Receiver Hopes To Make More Plays vs. Pats
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- Raiders Rising Receiver Hopes To Make More Plays vs. Pats
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
When Las Vegas Raiders receiver Cody White made his first touchdown catch of the season, few fans had heard of him. But Kirk Cousins did, in part because White played for Cousins' alma mater, even though the quarterback's college stint with the Spartans happened way back in the day in NFL terms.
Cousins said he loved seeing White make plays in a piece written by Sam Warren of The Athletic, but then he got the opportunity to make one life with White against the Los Angeles Chargers. White wasn't exactly open in the corner of the end zone when Cousins made the throw, and the quarterback later described it as a "make me right" throw.
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White made the contested catch, along with another one that resulted in a touchdown. He caught yet another one the following week against the New Orleans Saints, and now White is about to get the biggest opportuniy by far.
He'll be in the starting lineup with receiver Jalen Nailor out due to concussion symptoms after White played in 52 snaps against the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday when Nailor went down.
White clearly knows what this is all about. He said the opportunity is about making plays when his number comes up, but this is a big ask.
The receiver did something similar during his time at MSU, rising up the team's depth chart to set a freshman record for receptions. He was cut by three teams when he initially got to the NFL, per Warren, until finally he caught on with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a practice squad player.
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White added that there's been plenty of times when he wanted to give up, but he relied in part on the advice and support of his father, Sheldon, a former NFL quarterback who's currently a personnel executive with Pittsburgh.
Cody White's next big break happened when he caught on with the Seattle Seahawks practice squad, and that's where Raiders coach Klint Kubiak saw him. Seattle waived Whit on cutdown day this season, per Warren, which was when Kubiak grabbed him.
Now White has a chance to shine for a team that's suddenly winning games, and he's making the most of his opportunity. The Raiders have a much-maligned receivers group, but White is one of the players who's been changing that a little. It would be the continuation of a great story if he can continue to do that against the New England Patriots on Sunday, especially if he can help the Raiders pull off another unexpected win.
