These lost seasons and time far from Buffalo could have defined it. Instead, they reshaped him. White now talks not only about what the game has taken to him, but what he has returned – perspective, gratitude and a deeper appreciation for the chance to compete alongside the players he considers his brothers.
“These are the guys who saw me play at the highest peaks and saw me crawling on a scooter, on a wheelchair, these guys saw all this,” said White. “When I am here with them, it just gives me joy, because these guys know everything I have experienced, and they see him complete with me.”
White’s return is more than playing time. It is perseverance. It is a question of proving that what has been taken can be recovered – with work, with belief and with heart.
“My light will shine, because I think firmly,” said White. “I have put a lot of work, that’s what gives me the confidence to know that good things will happen, because I work extremely hard.”
Back in Buffalo, he is determined to let his light shine. For white, it means more than locking wide receptors. It is a question of radiating the joy that he feels back on the ground and showing teammates and fans the passion that never left, even when he could not play.
“I receive goosebumps, my eyes become aqueous when thinking about it, my voice cracks, because I like it, I put it a lot. So, whenever I talk, I smothered, because I have lived a lot. I have a lot of people behind me to keep helping me.” White said.
Despite everything – the setbacks, the pain, the lost time – White’s passion is intact. If anything, it’s stronger.
“People here know me. They know that I like this game,” he said.
