Mitchell White excited to get things going with the Toronto Argonauts
With the Toronto Argonauts in the hunt for first place in the East Division, defensive end Mitchell White is excited for the potential of another playoff run.
The already improved Toronto Argonauts defence will get another boost with the addition of Mitchell White who will make his debut on Saturday against Montreal.
The defensive back won a Grey Cup with Ottawa last season and was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles in August.
The 27-year old is excited to get back to playing meaningful football which is why he chose to sign with the Argos.
“When I initially spoke to Jim, he knew I wanted to come back up play somewhere that had a winning future,” said the Livonia, MI., native.
While getting Victor Butler and Cleyon Laing back from injuries was important for the defence, especially with Shawn Lemon sidelined. White should provide a much needed boost to the secondary who is missing Akwasi Owusu-Ansah and Jermaine Gabriel.
“I’m really excited, coming up in Montreal, a lot guys who were under Marc were still there at that time,” said White on playing in Marc Trestman’s system. “I would always hear about how he would do things and how particular he was, it is like putting a face to a name and you can see how that trickles down to the team.”
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White recorded 38 tackles and three interceptions in 14 games with Ottawa in 2016 who upset Calgary in the Grey Cup final.
He believes that the talent on defence led by coordinator Corey Chamblin is the right winning formula to get this team ready for a championship run.
“Everyone wants to win and be in first place,” said White. “Talking with SJ Green, winning a Grey Cup and getting that feeling is the most important focus. Once you get that feeling you want that feeling again, you want to be considered a champion again.”
While he was not expecting to get a spot right away injuries have provided him with an opportunity to step right in and hopefully make an impact.
“It is not too unfamiliar for me, I did that when I went to Ottawa,”said White on getting set up in the defensive system. “As a pro what you have to be able to do is, give a high effort and make plays when they come my way.”
He is also glad to be a teammate of quarterback Ricky Ray rather than playing against him.
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“One thing I always thought about playing against Ricky is that he is very disciplined when he is throwing the ball,” said White on the 38-year old. “He does not force ugly throws and it makes you a better player because you have to be more disciplined in your own play.”