Countdown to Kickoff: No. 28
DJ White
The countdown to kickoff is officially on as Georgia Tech‘s season-opening matchup at Colorado on Aug. 29 is less than 100 days away.
Until then JOL will be counting it down with one Jackets’ player daily that wore the corresponding number of days remaining until toe meets leather in Boulder.
With it now 28 days until kickoff in Boulder, today’s focus is on No. 28 DJ White, a defensive back that played in 48 games over four years on The Flats and had seven career interceptions, including one in 2014 in Athens that will be remembered fondly by Jackets’ fans forever.
White played his prep football at Union Grove High (Ga.) in McDonough where he caught the attention of college coaches and eventually earned close to 20 total offers from schools all across the country before deciding to sign with Georgia Tech in the recruiting class of 2012.
As a freshman White played in 10 games in 2012, mostly on special teams and as a backup on defense, and had five solo tackles and one forced fumble. He truly broke through as an impact player as a sophomore in 2013 when he played in all 13 games, including nine starts, and recorded 50 total tackles (40 solo) with one tackle-for-loss, two forced fumbles, one interception and five pass breakups.
White produced his best year at Georgia Tech as a junior in 2014 when he was named All-ACC Honorable Mention by the media after starting all 14 games during the Jackets’ 11-3 season and run to an Orange Bowl championship while racking up 66 total tackles (52 solo), three tackles-for-loss, four interceptions, eight passes defended, one forced fumble and one defensive touchdown. He made several big plays that season but probably none bigger than his interception in overtime at Georgia to seal the Jackets 30-24 win over the rival Bulldogs in a game that is now known to Tech fans as “The Kick and The Pick.”
White followed that up by finishing his Tech career off with another solid season as a senior in 2015 when he was voted as one of three team captains and started all 11 games. He finished with 41 total tackles (36 solo) with two interceptions, eight passes defended and one forced fumble.
White tested well at the NFL Scouting Combine following his career at Tech coming to an end and was selected in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 178th overall pick. Over the next five seasons, he was a part of seven different franchises, including the Chiefs, Colts, Redskins, Eagles, Falcons (twice), Cowboys and Raiders. He played in 13 games total in his NFL career and had 14 tackles (13 solo), one interception, three passes defended and two quarterback hits.
Honorable Mention
–Dontae Smith (Running back from 2019-2023, originally wore No. 28 before switching to No. 4 later in his career, finished with 1,663 career rushing yards on 308 carries and 16 touchdowns over 53 games, also had 44 career receptions for 315 yards and one touchdown)
-Rashaad Reid (Defensive back from 2008-2011, All-Freshman Second Team in 2008 according to Sporting News, played in 52 career games and had 120 total tackles with 68 solo stops, seven tackles-for-loss, three interceptions, four passes defended and one forced fumble, was very versatile during his Tech career playing safety, cornerback and nickel)
