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S Donte Whitner (Official Thread)

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Whitner playoff guarantee gets shot down

Not long after Donte Whitner's Bills 2008 playoff guarantee was in print did an ESPN analyst take a swipe at him.

ESPN football analyst Mark Schlereth during a Bills Breakdown segment thought Whitner's playoff guarantee was ill advised saying, "He shouldn't write checks that his team can't cash."
Schlereth said Whitner's guarantee is premature with a young quarterback that's still learning on offense.

Schlereth doesn't believe the Bills will make the playoffs. The more important question is do you believe Whitner's playoff guarantee was ill-advised as Schlereth obviously does?
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Whitner playoff guarantee gets shot down :: Buffalo Bills Insider :: Buffalo Bills Football News

The Whitner vs. Huff debate

Don't know how many of you recall but back in the 2006 draft many Bills fans were wondering if the Bills settled for Donte Whitner when the Raiders took Texas S Michael Huff one pick ahead of them (7th overall). Two years later Huff is in a put up or shut up year according to Jerry McDonald of the Contra Costa Times.

Not that it's all Huff's fault. He's more of a free safety, but the Raiders in the only way they know how to sabotage their own picks have played him at strong safety. Huff can't hit like Whitner and belongs in centerfield. He was miscast by Oakland. On Buffalo's board they had Whitner listed as a SS and Huff as a FS.

Either way it's looking more and more like the Bills got the better all-around safety in Whitner. He can cover just as well as Huff and he can hit and tackle. Do you think Whitner is better than Huff?
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The Whitner vs. Huff debate :: Buffalo Bills Insider :: Buffalo Bills Football News
 
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Commentary /By Larry Felser
Promise of youth backs up Whitner?s guarantee
Updated: 07/13/08

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James P. McCoy/Buffalo News
Donte Whitner has guaranteed that the Bills will break their playoff drought in 2008.

One day last week, I tuned into ESPN to hear what the NFL analysts had to say about the Buffalo Bills in their mini-preview of the league?s teams.

Steve Levy, the host, informed us ?when you think of Buffalo you think of the three ?W?s ? winter, wings and Whitner.? At the time it was 85 degrees in Buffalo but Levy was still alluding to our overworked reputation for rough winters, a subject beaten to near death by the national sporting media for more than 40 years. The reference to Donte Whitner, the Bills? fine young safety? Whitner is moving comfortably into a leadership role in his third pro season but I suspect he is not yet a totally familiar name in the households of ESPN viewers.

It turned out that what offended the ESPN crew was the temerity of Whitner to guarantee that his team would break its playoff drought in 2008. Whitner made the guarantee more than a month ago when he and his teammates were convening for offseason workouts.

Levy?s broadcast partner, ex-Washington and Denver guard Mark Schlereth, seemed outraged at the mere idea of Buffalo playing in the next postseason. ?They?re improved,? he admitted, ?but they?re not a playoff team.?
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Promise of youth backs up Whitner’s guarantee : Bills & NFL : The Buffalo News

Whispers ? AFC East
Bills teammates react positively to Whitner's 'guarantee'
July 13, 2008

Unless you?re Joe Namath, ?guarantees? in the NFL typically get greeted with either apathy or incredulity. But word out of Buffalo is that S Donte Whitner?s guarantee in a SportingNews.com story that the Bills will make the playoffs this season was marked by enthusiasm from his teammates. The Bills have made a host of fortifications this offseason, especially on defense, and the players have bought into the notion that it?s playoffs or bust.
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The Way We Hear It - NFL pro football rumors and insider news from Pro Football Weekly
 
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Ranking the top 25 NFL defensive backs
Posted: July 22, 2008
War Room scouts

22. Donte Whitner, S, Buffalo Bills. Whitner is an instinctive young playmaker who can make plays in traffic or in the open field. This rising young player will be helped even more in '08 with the return of fellow young safety Ko Simpson and the addition of rookie cover corner Leodis McKelvin.
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SportingNews.com - Your expert source for NFL Football stats, scores, standings, blogs and fantasy news from NFL Football columnists
 
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Bills hope to back up Whitner's guarantee of playoff berth
Sal Maiorana ? Staff writer ? July 24, 2008

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Ever since Donte Whitner came to Buffalo as the Bills' first-round draft choice in 2006, the strong safety from Ohio State has exuded leadership qualities not ordinarily found in players his age.

Now in his third NFL season, Whitner has become the heart and soul of the team. Lee Evans, Angelo Crowell and Chris Kelsay may be close, but the reality is that Whitner ? all of 23 years old ? is the guy at the front of the pack.

And even if you didn't think that was the case as recently as a month ago, you can't deny it now. Not after Whitner put himself on the line with a holy-cow-did-he-just-say-that comment to The Sporting News.

"Do I expect us to make the playoffs?" Whitner said, repeating a question that was asked of him. "I'm guaranteeing it."

You know the old saying: Don't write checks with your mouth that your body can't cash. In his youthful exuberance Whitner may have done that with his brash prediction because the Bills ? while obviously improved ? still have a difficult road ahead of them in the chase for an AFC playoff berth.

But you can't fault the guy for trying to light a fire under a team that has been flaming out for eight years.

"It's because of the chemistry we're building here," Whitner said, explaining why he believes the Bills are on the cusp of becoming a viable playoff participant at long last. "We're building it with good guys, good players."
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Bills hope to back up Whitner's guarantee of playoff berth | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle
 
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Whitner will miss the Bills preseason opener because of a sore left ankle.

PITTSFORD, N.Y. ? Starting strong safety Donte Whitner will miss the Buffalo Bills preseason opener at Washington on Saturday because of a sore left ankle.

Veteran receiver Josh Reed also is expected to miss the game because of a sore lower back. The potential good news is that receiver James Hardy could play after the rookie second-round draft pick returned to practice Wednesday after missing nearly a week with a sore left hamstring.

Whitner described his injury as minor, adding that he would be able to play if this were a regular-season game. Out since jamming his ankle in practice Saturday, Whitner said all test results show no damage.

"There's no swelling. It's just sore. It's just tender," he said, noting he expects to be back at practice Monday, and should play in Buffalo's next preseason game against Pittsburgh at Toronto on Aug. 14.
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The Canadian Press: Whitner will miss the Bills preseason opener because of a sore left ankle.
 
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Besides the first team offense, Buffalo's starting defenders also looked sharp.

Whitner had an interception of a Ben Roethlisberger pass intended for Santonio Holmes, deflected by free safety Ko Simpson.

But the Ohio State alumnus admitted, "One of my (Buckeye) guys hit me kind of hard. Santonio came over and apologized, and we're still friends, but I had to talk to him about it after the game."
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http://www.oleantimesherald.com/articles/2008/08/15/sports/doc48a587f266b1e754466852.txt
 
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Whitner quickly becomes vocal leader

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By Paul A. Jannace

Buffalo Bills safety Donte Whitner made a playoff guarantee in the offseason and has become a vocal leader in only his third season.Photos

By Paul Jannace
Daily Reporter
Tue Aug 19, 2008

PITTSFORD - On a defensive unit that ranked next to last in the NFL in 2007, it is difficult to find bright spots, but Donte Whitner turned out to be a positive and not only for his play on the field.

Whitner, taken 8th overall in 2006 out of Ohio State, seemed to be a stretch for the Buffalo Bills to draft so high. However, he has proven not only to be a solid safety, but also has taken on the role of a vocal leader for a defense that is among the youngest in the league.

The team added a couple of veterans in the offseason ? defensive tackle Marcus Stroud and linebacker Kawika Mitchell ? to go along with the incumbent veterans on the defense like defensive ends Chris Kelsay and Aaron Schobel and cornerback Terrence McGee, but it is Whitner who stepped up early in only his second season to be a spokesperson for the defense.

?It?s rare, but I?m comfortable with all my teammates, the coaches and everybody in the organization,? Whitner said. ?I like to voice my opinion, my mind and how I feel. I?m not going to just throw something out there.?
Whitner further established himself as a vocal leader by putting himself on the line in the offseason with a playoff guarantee, something he does not plan on backing down on.

?It?s been a nine-year drought and now we have all the pieces in place,? Whitner said. ?The positive part is that everybody?s feeling it and everybody believes.?
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http://www.wellsvilledaily.com/sports/x1115189113
 
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Sun, August 24, 2008
Bill's safety must back guarantee
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Donte Whitner is a confident player, one who has the conviction to say what he believes and is fearless in backing it up.

So when the Bills strong safety proclaims - no, make that guarantees, with a capital "G" - that Buffalo is going to make the playoffs this season, he does it without hesitation.

"It's a guarantee. You can't take it back and I won't take it back. I'm 100% sure," Whitner said during training camp, repeating the proclamation he's been making to most anyone who cares to listen.

"It's on me and I'm not afraid. I'm not backing down. So at the end of the year, when we're going into that 17th game, it'll feel good. And then it's on me, too."

Of course, Whitner knows what he's getting into, and aware that Buffalo hasn't been to the playoffs in eight seasons, since Rob Johnson and former CFL star Doug Flutie were embroiled in a quarterback controversy. It's the longest drought in franchise history, and tied with Detroit as the NFL's second-longest active drought, one season fewer than Arizona.
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edmontonsun.com - Football - Bill's safety must back guarantee
 
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Tragedy, loss, success help Whitner mature on, off field
By Tim Graham
ESPN.com
Updated: September 1, 2008

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AP Photo/David Duprey

Donte Whitner helped rock Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Johnson's world in a game last season. His philosophy: "I just want to force teams to pay attention to me on the field. I want those guys to have to game plan for me."

Chad Johnson's teammates kneeled in prayer. The Cincinnati Bengals receiver writhed delicately on the cold Ralph Wilson Stadium turf. He was in too much pain to thrash.

His problem? He made a mistake. He made himself vulnerable in Donte Whitner's neighborhood.

Johnson, arms out, dove for a sinking pass in the closing minutes of a Nov. 4, 2007 loss to the Buffalo Bills. A torpedo screamed for Johnson's ribcage. Whitner, the Bills' bone-jolting strong safety, blasted him.

You can't spell "detonate" without the D, O, N, T or E.

"When a guy gets that football in his hands, you get an opportunity to do something we can't do in public," Whitner said. "If we did, then we'd all be locked up. I try to be as violent and as fast as possible. I've always liked it. It's an adrenaline thing."


Johnson failed to do something Whitner, at an early age, learned nobody should forget to do.


Look both ways.

A near-fatal accident when Whitner was 4 years old drove home that lesson. Then, as he got older, he encountered a series of discouraging episodes that constantly reinforced another truism.

Grow up fast.

Those concepts have combined to make Whitner who he is, and have established his reputation as an emerging NFL star mature beyond his years.

The fast track is the only path he has known. He graduated high school early and left Ohio State early. He's entering his third NFL season, but he didn't turn 23 until the day the Bills reported to training camp.

And this is the year he plans to blow up.

"I just want to force teams to pay attention to me on the field," Whitner said. "I want those guys to have to game plan for me.

"Any player who wants to be disruptive or be a good player in this game, they should want the same thing. I really want to be the best safety in the game of football, and if you don't want to be the best at your position, there's really no reason to be playing. When I come away from this game, I want to be considered one of the best."
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ESPN - Tragedy, loss, success help Whitner mature on, off field - NFL
 
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Draft for character Overall, the Bills have a better track record than most teams for avoiding players who get into trouble.
Donte Whitner is one of many examples of the Bills looking for a locker-room leader.
Whitner was the No.?8 pick in 2006. The Bills stuck to their draft board in taking Whitner No. 8 in 2006, even though defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (now with Baltimore) arguably may have filled a bigger need.
"Besides the football talent, he had great intangibles," Modrak said. "He has a great work ethic. He kept his own notebook on each team they played against at Ohio State. He had the ability to cover man [to man] out of a safety position. He was a relentless player. He kind of clicked off all the right things, including the kind of person he was, and that position is a leadership position."
While Ngata is a force now for the Baltimore Ravens and the Bills recognized his talent, they simply did not think he fit Jauron's defensive scheme. Ngata is a stay-at-home run plugger.
"We wanted Donte a little more," Modrak said. "It wasn't a negative on Haloti. There would have had to have been some adjustments for Haloti. He's not a run-and-chase kind of guy."
The Bills scouting staff has a clear view of what the coaching staff wants, which speaks to the next principle, perhaps the biggest the Bills are trying to embrace.
Cont...
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Friday, September 5, 2008

Seahawks Notebook | Buffalo safety now has chance to back playoff boast
Buffalo Bills safety Donte Whitner gets the chance to put his money where his mouth is. If Whitner's Bills defeat the Seattle Seahawks, it will make his July promise of a playoff berth perhaps a little easier to keep.

By Jos? Miguel Romero

Seattle Times staff reporter

RENTON ? Two months after that bold ? some called it something much less flattering ? guarantee of a playoff berth for his Buffalo Bills, Donte Whitner gets the chance to put his money where his mouth is.

If Whitner's Bills defeat the Seahawks, it will make his July promise perhaps a little easier to keep. If the Bills lose, well, Whitner will look more like another boastful player from a losing team who could be embarrassingly wrong about his team's fortunes.

"Do I expect us to make the playoffs?" he asked The Sporting News on July 6. "I'm guaranteeing it."

That took some guts. The Bills haven't been to the postseason since 1999. Their past three records are 5-11, 7-9 and 7-9.

"My feeling is I'm glad he's confident and glad he's expressing how he feels," Bills coach Dick Jauron said. "I'm 57 years old, and I don't predict anything. I have seen enough to know you don't know what's going to happen."

Jauron didn't back Whitner directly, but appreciated his safety's confidence.

"Are we confident? Yes. If we aren't confident then we have no chance at all," Jauron said. "Do I like our players? Yes, I do. We have high-character guys who work really hard. Do we have a chance to succeed? Yes, we do. But a lot of things have to go right, and we have to make them go right."

Expectations for the Bills are higher this season in Buffalo, though the team isn't expected to win its division, the AFC East, which features the New England Patriots.

"I feel like there's a reason for that. We got guys in here that can play," defensive end Aaron Schobel said. "I think we've obviously gotten better. ... We're going to see what happens when it starts for real."
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Seahawks | Seahawks Notebook | Buffalo safety now has chance to back playoff boast | Seattle Times Newspaper
 
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