Roth: For Bills' Whitner, sanctuary is found on field
Leo Roth ? Staff writer ? September 25, 2009
ORCHARD PARK ? When the Buffalo Bills lost to the New England Patriots in the regular-season opener, free safety Donte Whitner was in tears afterwards.
The Bills had come so close to snapping an 11-game losing streak to their nemesis, only to lose by a measly point. This one hurt and Whitner wasn't afraid to let everyone know the depths of his pain.
In the testosterone-driven world of football played at the professional level, it's unusual to see a player wear his emotions on his sleeve. But in a Buffalo locker room where heart has been questioned time and time again during this playoff-less decade, it was also refreshing to see Whitner care so much.
It didn't shock his teammates.
"When you have someone that dedicates themselves physically and mentally like Donte, that's the look you're going to see in the locker room after a tough loss like that one," fellow defensive back George Wilson said. "You win with guys like that."
Yes you do.
Last Sunday, Whitner was all smiles after returning an interception 76 yards for his first NFL touchdown, sparking a 33-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Ralph was rocking hard when No. 20 reached the end zone but Whitner couldn't hear the fans' screams.
"When a play like that happens, you can't even really hear it," he said. "It's just like everything is going in slow motion, a blur ... it's kind of weird but it's fun at the same time.''
From tears to cheers, that's how quickly things can change in sports.
And in life.
Just hours after his big play, Whitner was brought back down to earth once more when he returned to his Hamburg, Erie County, townhome only to discover the theft of $400,000 worth of jewelry.
