Imagine walking into a 97-degree, humidified yoga studio for a hot yoga session and running into one of the premier cornerbacks in college football.
Sounds crazy, right?
In the case of LSU junior cornerback Tre’Davious White, it isn’t.
Before donning the storied No. 18 jersey this season, Whitetook time during the spring and summer to relax and recuperate while building flexibility for the game he loves.
“Flexibility is key,” White said. “It’s peaceful. Your mind resets. … It does a lot for me because it teaches me to stay focused and just relax. It’s a deal that a lot of people don’t do, but it’s a thing I think every athlete — at least that plays the physical game that I play — should check into. It’s a good deal.”
For most fans, yoga and football seem unrelated. But White said the discipline and flexibility needed to hold a yoga pose translates onto the field through the focus and body control required to make a play within complex defensive scheme.
Besides his eccentric hot yoga regimen, White’s leadership in the secondary epitomizes the character symbolized by the No. 18 tradition.
“He’s a ‘doer,’ I would say,” junior safety Rickey Jefferson said. “He does the right thing all the time. He communicates very well when he has to, but he takes a more quiet approach.”
Although his calm approach to the game contrasts with the vibrant personalities abundant in a Tigers’ secondary that features Jefferson and sophomore safety Jamal Adams, White’s example sets the tone for the entire LSU defense.
On the field, White’s quiet leadership transforms into an infectious spike of energy throughout the defense when he makes a game-changing play.
During LSU’s season opener against Mississippi State University on Sept. 12, White made a game-saving pass breakup in the fourth quarter to force a field goal attempt.
White reached around the Bulldogs’ junior wide receiver De’Runnya Wilson’s shoulder and hit the ball free with a few seconds left.
After the play, White’s composed field presence momentarily slipped to reveal the passionate player underneath as he celebrated with his teammates.
“[It was] very emotional,” White said days after LSU’s 21-19 victory against Mississippi State. “It’s just something you come to LSU for. You want to be in those one-on-one matchups, and you want to make those big-time plays for the team. It was my day to make that play. I feel like I came in big for the team.”
In 2015, the Shreveport, Louisiana, native’s notoriety gives opposing quarterbacks pause to throw in his direction, favoring the Tigers’ inexperienced starters lining up opposite him.
Despite limited opportunities, White continues to showcase his talent.
Since becoming a starter during his freshman season in 2013, White established himself as a rock in the Tigers’ secondary, making 27 consecutive starts at corner.
Despite lining up against the opponents’ best wide receiver throughout 2014, White posted six pass breakups, two interceptions and 33 tackles as a key member of the SEC’s top-ranked defensive unit.
White notched 30 tackles, including a tackle for a loss and three pass breakups in his eight starts this season.
“Tre White is one of those guys you want to have on every team,” said sophomore defensive tackle Davon Godchaux. “I’m not just saying that just to say it. I really mean it. Tre White is one of those guys I definitely can depend on. If a ball is thrown deep, I know Tre White has got his job.”
White’s experience and unquestioned ability to make necessary plays at corner bolsters his leadership credibility on and off the field.
When he arrived in Baton Rouge, he already had the talent to make a name for himself in LSU’s tradition of NFL-caliber cornerbacks, but White credits his former teammates for teaching how to lead.
“I’ve sort of followed the guys that came before me,” White said. “Guys like Craig Loston and Jalen Collins. They pretty much molded me into being the same guys they were while they were here. It’s just an inherited thing that I got.”