Stop yourself for a minute or three. Get over to YouTube. Fire up your choice of Kevin White highlight montages and remind yourself of the kind of game-breaking talent the Bears’ young wide receiver has.
Pay special attention to the one-handed, fourth-quarter, go-ahead touchdown grab White plucked away from Baylor cornerback Xavien Howard.
Or the quick-hit pass he caught against Maryland that he promptly turbo-boosted into a 44-yard score. Or any of the 16 catches he racked up in a game against Texas.
Yes, these clips are ancient now by football standards, dusty relics from White’s breakout season at West Virginia in 2014. And in the big picture, in a “What have you done for me lately?” league like the NFL, White remains stuck in the “What have you done for me ever?” caste.
But make no mistake, his opportunity to prove himself is coming soon. And just about everyone within the Bears organization is itching for that time to arrive.
After being drafted seventh overall last spring, White’s rookie season vanished before it began. A stress fracture in his left leg became problematic during organized team activities and ultimately required surgery in August.
As demanding as White’s physical recovery was, the mental strain of not being able to contribute all season gnawed at him. It still does.
Yet now comes the next stage in the 23-year-old’s development. And with general manager Ryan Pace asserting at the NFL owners meetings this week that White is “100 percent healthy,” it’ll be up to the Bears to use and harness the young receiver’s overflowing eagerness.
From Pace’s vantage point, it’ll soon be up to White to display “that mental confidence to go full speed.”
“I think he’s there,” Pace said. “He’s got the biggest smile on his face because he’s eager to show everybody what he can do. We’re fired up about that.”
When the Bears reconvene for their offseason conditioning program next month, White will likely be the most enthusiastic kid in the bunch, the caged puppy let off his leash at the park.
Yet that, in its own right, will challenge the Bears coaches. They have to remind White that he can’t rush his development. He can’t be so eager to prove himself that he skips steps on his climb.
Still, Pace and coach John Fox hardly see that eagerness as a problem.
“It’s good to have a player that you have to pull back more than you have to push,” Pace said.
Added Fox: “There’s nothing wrong with being excited or being enthusiastic about moving forward. Actually, I’d prefer it that way. He’ll be fine. He’s an outstanding guy.”
Fox expects White’s NFL ascension to come soon, albeit in increments.
Last season, even as he pushed through his draining rehabilitation, White remained engaged mentally, attentive in meetings and invested in learning the playbook.
Still, it will be interesting to see just how extensive his responsibilities in the Bears offense will be initially. How much will new coordinator Dowell Loggains feel comfortable moving White around? How many route concepts will White be trusted with?
“He’s been in his book,” Fox said. “But it’s like studying for a test where you haven’t taken the test yet. There’s no way to measure (his progress) physically. Mentally, you can give him that kind of test. But football’s not that. A lot of guys can get it on a board or in a meeting room. But when somebody’s out there slapping them in the head, they forget it. It’s just different.
“That’s the part we haven’t seen with Kevin.”
No one has. Not at this level. So as White’s eagerness spikes, so too does the outside curiosity.
In January, White spoke openly about his trying first season in the NFL. His confidence, he said, never waned. His competitive drive remains as sharp. And without the opportunity to play in 2015, White said he learned at least one important thing about himself.
“I love the game,” he said. “I want to be around it. I want to be a part of it.” That chance is coming. And the Bears are hopeful White’s NFL highlight reel will be available soon.