Raiders report: Small-town life prepares White for starring role
Zamir White has been unaffected by the extra reps he has been taking in the sweltering heat of training camp.
His offseason program is far more grueling.
The Raiders running back spends his summers in his rural hometown of Laurinburg, North Carolina, where there is work to be done that has nothing to do with taking handoffs or picking up blitzers.
He’s comfortable there, tending to the hogs, cows, goats and his garden. The farm is up to 12 horses after he added to the stable with his rookie contract.
“My offseason workout was real brutal, so conditionwise I’m pretty fine,” White said after Saturday’s training camp practice at the team facility in Henderson. “Shoot, a lot of hills, a lot of running. Working with my horses on the farm and stuff like that. Throwing hay bales, cutting wood, all that type of stuff.”
He attacked his rookie season the same way even though he wasn’t playing much behind Josh Jacobs, who led the NFL in rushing. White spent extra time in the building watching film, taking mental reps, talking to the veterans and finding any way he could to improve for when his time eventually comes.
That time could be here sooner than he expected.
Jacobs remains away from the team as he has yet to sign the franchise tag or agree to a one-year deal. White said he talks to Jacobs quite often and believes he is doing well and staying sharp, but White is preparing as if he is going to take on an expanded role.
“Just head down grinding, that’s about it,” White said. “I’ve just been focused on my part and just being here ready to work every single morning. That’s about it for me, grinding it out.”
Even with Jacobs absent, White carries with him some of the lessons he learned playing behind him last season.
“Josh works so hard at pass protection, running the ball, everything,” White said. “He’s a grinder, and he does it off the field, too. That’s the type of stuff I learned from him.”
But they have their differences. While Jacobs does a tremendous job meshing speed with his power, White runs with a violence befitting the strength of his country roots.
“Just go ahead downhill and just make the play work,” he said of his punishing style. “That’s about it for me.”
Overall, White said he’s far more comfortable this season than he was as a rookie. His work and the tutelage of Jacobs and other veterans have him far more prepared, and he continues to make strides in the passing game.
He’s even growing more comfortable with the city life that Las Vegas offers, though there are still some comforts of home that are missed.
His family has yet to come around on the cuisine when they visit.
“Honestly, the food for them is terrible,” he said. “For them, in the south we really cook for real, so we just don’t like the food like that. That’s about it, but they like (Las Vegas).
“And I like it. It’s fun. Vegas is night and day from my world back home, and it’s a different type of world. But it’s pretty cool here.”
Practice report
A few days after the Raiders lost some depth at running back with Austin Walter going on injured reserve, the team practiced without another key backup in Brittain Brown.
The second-year back, a seventh-round pick out of UCLA, left the field early in the session.
He appeared to be dealing with a lower-body injury during the early portion of practice before the decision was made to go back to the locker room.
No updates were provided on his status.
Tight end Michael Mayer briefly went to the sideline and was stretched out by an athletic trainer.
He was able to return to practice, but did not meet with the media for his first scheduled news conference of training camp Saturday afternoon.
Camera ready
The NFL Network has been promoting an appearance at Raiders camp on Sunday.
Wide receiver Davante Adams and defensive end Maxx Crosby are slated to do interviews during the broadcast.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.
