The NFL today named Bucs inside linebacker Devin White the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September. That’s the first time White has won this honor. White previously earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month honors twice during the 2019 season.

Over three games in the month of September, White accumulated 24 tackles (three for loss), three sacks, three quarterback hits, two passes defensed and one forced fumble.

Bucs LB Devin White – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

White kicked off the 2022 campaign with a two-sack performance at Dallas against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. He recorded the fifth multi-sack performance of his NFL career. He is one of just two off-ball linebackers with at least five multi-sack games since entering the league in 2019. He followed that up with an 11-tackle performance in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints, adding another sack and a forced fumble.

White was one of just two inside linebackers with three or more sacks in the month of September, and he tied for third in the NFC overall in sacks. He is also one of just three NFC players with three-plus sacks and a forced fumble through Week 3. The fourth-year linebacker out of LSU is once again a team captain and the leading tackler and sacker on Tampa Bay’s defense.

Bucs Defense One Of NFL’s Best So Far

The Bucs defense leads the NFL in fewest points per game allowed (9.0) and is tied for the league lead in fewest opponent touchdowns (three) and in takeaways (eight) through Week 3. Tampa Bay enters Week 4 with a 2-1 record behind a defense that ranks second in fewest opponent first downs per game (14.7), tied for second in defensive fumble recoveries (three), tied for third in interceptions (five), tied for third in sacks (11.0) and tied for third in forced fumbles (five).

The Bucs are also fourth in total defense (289.0 yards allowed per game), fourth in fewest opponent in net yards per pass attempt (5.38), fourth in fewest opponent yards per play allowed (4.54), fifth in fewest opponent rushing yards per game (79.3), sixth in quarterback hits (22) and sixth in lowest opponent third-down conversion percentage (30.2%).

White is the first Bucs player to win an NFC Player of the Month award since Lavonte David (September) and Tom Brady (October) won in consecutive months to begin the 2020 season. White becomes the seventh Bucs player to win NFC Defensive Player of the Month honors joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Derrick Brooks (twice) and Warren Sapp (twice), as well as Shaquil Barrett, Lavonte David, Simeon Rice (twice) and Barrett Ruud.