Former LSU football star wins NFC Defensive Player of the Month

LSU football has been one of the National Football League’s biggest producers of talent over the years. As things stand, according to spotrac, there are 56 former Bayou Bengals on NFL rosters. This is tied for the second most of any school in America (with Ohio State), only behind Alabama. There is a reason “NFLSU” is a thing in the first place.

While these numbers are undoubtedly impressive, the real test is whether or not the Tigers’ former players pan out in the league. There is no shortage of quality either. LSU has graduated some of the best players anywhere in the NFL—on both sides of the ball. It should come as no surprise to anyone then that one of the Tigers’ stars in the NFL recently picked up one of the league’s most prestigious monthly awards.

Former LSU football star Devin White wins NFC Defensive Player of the Month

Former LSU linebacker Devin White, now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month on Thursday. White helped lead the Bucs to a 2-1 record in September. This has them sitting atop the NFC South division early in the season.

Tampa Bay currently boasts one of the top defenses in the NFL. The Bucs have allowed a league-low 27 total points against three very talented offenses in the Dallas Cowboys, the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers. Kacy Rodgers and Larry Foote’s defense is first in the NFL in scoring defense as it’s given up 9.0 points per game thus far.

Tampa Bay’s defense is also allowing the fourth fewest yards per game, cementing its place among the elites. White has been an integral part of this success as he’s stepped up into a leadership role since going pro in 2019.

White’s NFC Defensive Player of the Month award is well deserved too. He’s posted some phenomenal stats throughout September. In fact, he’s the only player in the NFL who has posted these numbers through three weeks. White is in a league of his own at the moment.

Here are his stats in September:

• 24 tackles
• Three sacks
• Two passes defensed
• One forced fumble

White is the first Buccaneers linebacker to win the award since Shaquil Barrett did it in the same month during the 2019 season. He becomes the fifth in the franchise’s history. Furthermore, he becomes the first linebacker out of LSU to win Defensive Player of the Month honors. White joins Tyrann Mathieu (November 2015 and December 2019) as the only former Bayou Bengals defender to achieve these honors.

Southeastern Conference alumni won two of the NFC’s three monthly awards. Obviously, White took home the defensive honors and former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts won NFC Offensive Player of the Month. Former Utah punter Mitch Wishnowsky of the San Francisco 49ers won the NFL Special Teams Player of the Month award. South Carolina graduate Melvin Ingram won AFC Defensive Player of the Month, giving the SEC a sweep on the defensive side in September.

Congrats, Devin!