Getty New York Jets quarterback Mike White celebrates with center Connor McGovern in Week 12.
Everyone seems to love Mike White — and that appears to go double for his New York Jets teammates.
When Gang Green touched down in Minnesota ahead of their Week 13 matchup with the Vikings, there was a pretty noticeable theme. It involved White’s face plastered across the chests of his colleagues.
wait for it…
Jets Go Viral in Mike White Shirts Ahead of Vikings Game
The Jets Twitter account released the video, which currently has over 2,600 likes and 450-plus shares. Within it, wide receiver Braxton Berrios and tight ends C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin are all seen rocking White gear — but you can bet they’re not the only three.
The shirt from Smack Apparel features White’s winking face with the quote: “MIKE F’N WHITE.”
This comes days after the Jets’ new starting quarterback began this trend with a Ty Johnson graphic tee during a press conference on December 1. Of course, White didn’t come to Minnesota empty-handed either.
#Jets QB Mike White meeting media … in a Ty Johnson t-shirt. Can see why guys love this dude 😂
At the tail-end of the clip, you see White coming into the frame behind Conklin. The camera operator pauses for a moment, allowing the NYJ signal-caller to show off his official Tyler Conklin T-shirt.
Say what you want about his game, but it’s hard to knock White’s personality. There’s a reason why he’s beloved by his Jets teammates and that fact is becoming hard to ignore.
Did Sam Darnold’s Mono Lead to Mike White Fever?
ESPN’s Rich Cimini posted an article on December 2 with a headline that read: “How a case of mono helped the New York Jets discover Mike White.”
The entire story was fascinating and it’s worth a full skim if you have the time, but there were also some interesting bullet points within that explain why teammates appreciate White.
“White quickly gained a reputation as a diligent worker, on and off the field, according to former teammates and coaches,” relayed Cimini. “They described him as serious, but personable. He ran the scout-team offense against the starting defense.”
Then came the direct quotes, including one from former Jets linebacker Brandon Copeland. “He was always consistent in his manner and demeanor. He was always a great person, great teammate and always worked his tail off. Those are the things that stick out. You could count on Mike to be himself. He didn’t have bad days in terms of his outside personality and his demeanor toward the rest of the team. He didn’t mope. He didn’t do things like that. I think that’s going to be huge for him now. Watching him have success, it’s extremely earned.”
A former staffer also referred to him as “smart, focused and a pleaser.” Continuing: “He wanted the scout team to present the correct picture for the defense. He wasn’t afraid to compete. He was determined. He wanted his fundamentals to improve with quality, competitive team snaps in practice. He had the respect of the huddle. He recruited guys to listen to him as the quarterback — and they did.”
As for the mono part, it wasn’t far off from the truth. Sam Darnold’s illness caused the Jets to turn to Trevor Siemian — who immediately suffered a long-term ankle injury. With Luke Falk left as the starter, general manager Joe Douglas searched for quarterback help.
First, he signed David Fales because of his relationship with former head coach Adam Gase. Then the front office courted their own number-one developmental target, a recently cut QB prospect from the Dallas Cowboys.
“Douglas was high on White after evaluating him before the 2018 draft while working in the Philadelphia Eagles’ front office,” explained Cimini. “He knew White as a productive college player with strong intangibles. What impressed him the most was how he threw for 4,177 yards, with 26 touchdown passes and eight interceptions at Western Kentucky, even though some of his best players from the year before had graduated.”
Eventually, White decided on the Jets practice squad over a stint with the XFL. If he leads Gang Green to their first postseason appearance in over a decade, that would make for one heck of a fairytale ending.