S Donte Whitner (Official Thread)

[Buckskin86]

49ers Donte Whitner Becomes a Student at San Jose State
Safety is going back to finish his degree and make new friends.
By Sajid Farooq
Thursday, Jan 26, 2012

Not only does Donte Whitner hit receivers hard on the field, the 49ers safety is now hitting the books hard at San Jose State University.
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San Francisco 49ers safety Donte Whitner thinks his team's defense will only get better next year but first he needs to go back to school.

The former Buffalo Bills player has been in the Bay Area less than a year but he makes more than enough money to pay the out of state tuition fees at San Jose State University.

Whitner tweeted Wednesday evening that he was going back to school to finish his degree at San Jose State University.

The 26-year-old player attended Ohio State University before being drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2006.

Whitner said he will be taking a retail marketing class and another one on the legal environments of business.

Thursday he was using Twitter to coordinate meet ups on campus with his follower and actively trying to connect with a fraternity to join.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/loca...es-a-Student-at-San-Jose-State-138135638.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Donte Whitner -- He committed to the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency, but changed his mind to sign a three-year, $11.25 million contract with the 49ers. He fit in perfectly with the 49ers, quickly becoming the quarterback of the secondary. Whitner and Goldson meshed well as a tandem, with Whitner being used more in the box for run support while Goldson played center field. Whitner single-handedly changed the tone of the playoff game against New Orleans with his legal helmet-to-helmet hit on running back Pierre Thomas on the opening drive that caused a fumble and knocked Thomas out of the game.

http://www.csnbayarea.com/blog/nine...---Defensive-backs?blockID=641822&feedID=2539

 

[Buckskin86]

Whitner Sets Lofty Goals for 2012

 

[Buckskin86]

Donte Whitner Mentors Young Safeties
Posted by Alex Espinoza on June 5, 2012

Height has never been an issue for heavy-hitting Donte Whitner, who has established himself as one of football?s fiercest safeties. Heading into the 2012 season, Whitner finds himself surrounded by a couple of rookie safeties who have been labeled by some as undersized.

But listening to Whitner?s comments following Tuesday?s practice, sixth-round pick Trenton Robinson and undrafted signee Michael Thomas haven?t missed a beat despite their smaller stature.

?This is not really basketball,? Whitner said. ?This is about who can run, who can jump, who can change direction and who can explode and hit people.?

cont...

http://blog.49ers.com/2012/06/05/donte-whitner-mentors-young-safeties/

 

[Buckskin86]

Donte- Bay Area TV interview

 

[Buckskin86]

Whitner's Blog: Camp Starts
Donte Whitner Hard-Hitting Journalist @DonteWhitner Players Only Blog

Donte Whitner emerged as a leader of the 49ers secondary in 2011 during his first season in San Francisco. A man who takes pride in his mental side of the game, Whitner has also established himself as one of the league?s hardest-hitting safeties throughout his career. The veteran spoke with 49ers.com about his approach to Training Camp as he enters his eighth NFL season.

Staying in hotel during training camp makes life a lot easier. You don?t have to bring TVs, you don?t have to bring blankets and you don?t have to bring refrigerators because you already have it in the room. Here, mostly all you need is your playbook, your toiletry bag, and a lot of pairs of clean clothes like jogging suits and t-shirts and sweatshirts. And you gotta have a lot of those sunflower seeds; you know you?re going to need them in the meeting room. Ranch flavor. That?s pretty much all I brought. You don?t see guys lugging in big TVs and things because we?re not in a dorm and it makes it a lot easier.

A lot of guys wear the same clothes every day, but I can?t do that. Over my seven training camps, I?ve seen that a lot, but I just don?t feel comfortable doing that. I have to get a shower before I go to bed, I have to get a shower when I wake up in the morning and I have to have a fresh pair of clothes. To each his own, but I can?t do that.

I really enjoyed myself at the Pasta Bowl this past week. Events like those are good for team camaraderie, but it also gives us an opportunity to interact with people that really care about this organization and care about the community as a whole. It?s always cool. Whenever we sit at tables and we get an opportunity to talk a kid, that?s the best part about it. They want to ask us questions and we get to know them a little bit and it?s always a great time.

cont...

http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2/Whitners-Blog-Camp-Starts/5c2865ea-ce7e-4414-8313-9ec9de12366d

 

[Buckskin86]

July 30, 2012
Whitner is coming: 49ers safety sees irony in his famous hit

Remember the hot-headed, profanity-laced, violence-infused pre-game speech then-Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams gave before the team's divisional playoff game in San Francisco earlier this year? Audio here.

Safety Donte Whitner today painted an entirely different picture of what was going on in the 49ers' defensive meeting room at the same time.

"Believe it or not, he's very calm," Whitner said of 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. "The way he is during practice is the same way he is the night before the game. He's very calm, he informed us of everything we have to do to get the win, the players we had to take out of the game - not physically or literally - but to take them out of the game, not allow them to make plays. ...

"He's the same guy he is each and every game, and you can appreciate that," Whitner continued. "Because some coaches get into that moment the night before the game, the day of the game and you really don't know who they are. They change into another person. Because they're as nervous or even more nervous than the players are. But you don't really see that with Vic."

Williams, of course, has been suspended indefinitely by the NFL for his role in the Saints' bounty scandal. The 49ers travel to New Orleans Nov. 25 to begin a tough, five week stretch that includes road trips to New Orleans, St. Louis, New England and Seattle.

Whitner acknowledged it was "ironic" that it was he -- not a Saints defender -- who delivered the most memorable and critical hit in the game, a legal shot on running back Pierre Thomas as the Saints drove deep into 49ers territory on the opening drive that dislodged the football and knocked Thomas out of the game with a concussion.

"I'm not happy that he was injured on the play," Whitner said. "But I am happy that is delivered a big blow and got the football for our team because who knows what would have happened (had the Saints scored). Confidence would have been shaken if you let Drew Brees and the prolific offense they have go down and score on the first drive."

Whitner said that hardly a day passes that he's not asked about that hit. In fact, Whitner said he had to stop taking classes this offseason at San Jose State because people kept approaching him to talk about the play and he started to become a spectacle.

So he took the classes on-line and is still working toward his degree.

Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/49ers/archi...es-irony-in-his-famous-hit.html#storylink=cpy

 

[Buckskin86]

San Francisco 49ers' Donte Whitner makes impact with hard hits and his comments on Saints' bounty system
By Daniel Brown
[email protected]
Posted: 07/31/2012

SANTA CLARA -- Donte Whitner is hardly a one-hit wonder. He's blasted plenty of other players during his six NFL seasons, including a young Cincinnati Bengals receiver known as Chad Johnson.

"I don't know if I made him change his name to Ochocinco," Whitner said, "but I had him thinking twice about coming over the middle again."

But the smash that left the biggest imprint -- on his reputation, on the opponent -- was the blow the 49ers strong safety delivered to New Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas during last season's playoff game at Candlestick Park.

Even with training camp signaling the start of a new season, Whitner said he can't slip free from his tackle against the Saints.

"Almost every day no matter where I go, people are always coming up," Whitner said Monday. "They say so many things, like, 'Oh, my god. I can't believe you knocked out Pierre Thomas.'

"Or 'I can't believe it. It was such a big play.'

"Or 'You changed the game.' "

It also changed Whitner's life. The 27-year-old tried to finish off his business and consumer affairs degree by attending classes at San Jose State during the offseason. But his fellow students kept cornering him to chat about football.

Whitner, weary of the extra attention, is now taking those classes online.

cont...

http://www.mercurynews.com/49ers/ci_21200976/san-francisco-49ers-donte-whitner-makes-impact-hard

 

[Buckskin86]

Whitner takes on mentoring role
By: Alexis Terrazas | 08/01/12
Special to The SF Examiner

Six years removed from being among the highest-drafted safeties in his class, Donte Whitner has no qualms sitting next to a rookie.

?Right now, I sit next to Trent Robinson in the meeting,? the 27-year-old said of his fellow 49ers safety.
But Whitner isn?t just sitting.

?Every day ? whether I see him do something good, whether I see him do something bad ? we take notes together and I critique him on the things that he [does],? Whitner said. ?Because you?re only as good as your weakest link in the National Football League. At any given time, anybody can go down with an injury, and the guy that steps in is gonna have to able to play at a starter?s level.?

Currently, only Whitner and Dashon Goldson ? a fine 1-2 combination in San Francisco?s last line of defense ? can be considered starting level safeties. Behind them lies a slew of talented yet inexperienced players who will undoubtedly see action this month as preseason kicks off Aug. 10 against the Minnesota Vikings at Candlestick Park.

And with secondary coach Ed Donatell having to tutor close to 20 players during the current training camp, his veteran safeties, Whitner and Goldson, have been of help.

?He can?t coach everybody, so the guys with experience have to be coaches and help him when he?s coaching other guys,? Whitner said. ?Only unselfish players ? and we have a bunch of unselfish players in this locker room ? are willing to coach guys that are younger than them. Guys that can potentially compete with you to take your job.?

It?s a job that Whitner thinks the sixth-round draft pick Robinson, 22, can do ? with some training.

?He has the quickness, he has the speed,? Whitner said. ?He has a toughness and the smart. So really it?s going to be up to him if he makes it or not, because he has all the tools.?

cont...

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/sports/2012/08/whitner-takes-mentoring-role#ixzz22OPZPk00

 

[Buckskin86]

Whitner says of NFC title game, ?It was ours to lose?

Packers linebacker Clay Matthews recently said that the Giants didn?t beat the Packers in the divisional playoffs last season, but that the Packers beat themselves.

49ers safety Donte Whitner offered up a similar explanation in comments aired before the 49ers preseason opener against the Vikings.

?We felt like it was ours to lose,? Whitner said. ?Especially after we beat the Saints, we felt like it was ours to lose. We felt like the Saints and Green Bay Packers were the two best teams in the playoffs and once they went down we felt like it was ours to lose, and we let it slip through our fingers.?

cont...

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/whitner-says-of-nfc-title-game-it-was-ours-to-lose/

 

[Buckskin86]

Whitner's Blog: Preseason Begins

Donte Whitner Hard-Hitting Journalist @DonteWhitner Players Only Blog

Donte Whitner emerged as a leader of the 49ers secondary in 2011 during his first season in San Francisco. A man who takes pride in his mental side of the game, Whitner has also established himself as one of the league?s hardest-hitting safeties throughout his career. The veteran spoke with 49ers.com about the team?s development through the first preseason game.

It?s always good playing in that first preseason game, you want to get out there. You want to get your feet wet. Being in practice and being in a game is a totally different feel. You want to get out there and get some live action. You want to let the shoulder pads pop a little bit, and you just want to fly around to get your legs back under you. That?s what you want to do in your first game and I think we did that.

We gave up a play that was about 52 yards, but it was a routine defense we were in. It was just a mistake in the back end, we just have to be disciplined in what we do. They still only got three points out of that drive. Like coach Vic Fangio says all the time ?They are not in until they are in.? It doesn?t matter if a team gets 600 yards on you if they only have seven-to-10 points. We don?t want to give up that many yards, but we understand that red-zone defense is what helps you win football games in the National Football League. We held them to a field goal on that drive, but we just can?t give up that big play.

It is a lot of fun seeing the younger guys get out there. They come in, a lot of them have dreams of playing in the NFL, they get here and they don?t know what to expect. Then they get out on the football field and you see a lot of them have huge eyes. They don?t know what the speed of the game is going to be like when they get out there in live action. Then to actually hear them when they get out on the sideline and understand it?s not too different from college. It is faster. It does kick up a notch in the regular season, but right now it?s not too much faster than what it is in college.

It just brings back memories of me being a rookie having to play on all the special teams and having to take the majority of the snaps in the preseason. I actually know what they are going through. It is an exciting time, but it?s also a time filled with a lot of anxiety. Most of, if not all, our rookies really handled it well.

cont...

http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2...n-Begins/2e9e1218-e1cc-43b4-9dd4-bfe5f1a0f09d

 

[Buckskin86]

Whitner relishing 49ers defensive continuity, emergence of offense into elite
Posted by Cam Inman on August 17th, 2012
By Steve Corkran

SANTA CLARA? Having been a free agent himself, 49ers strong safety Donte Whitner knows all about the transient nature of the NFL.

Hence, he calls ?unique? the 49ers ability to bring back all 11 of their defensive starters from last season?s playoff team, as well as many of the key backups.

?It gives us an edge because it allows us to build on what we did last year, build on the details of the defense,? Whitner said Friday, minutes before making his way to the airport for a flight to Houston in advance of a game against the Texans.

?We all know the outside framework of it, but there are a lot of different things that go into this defense depending on what the offense does, based on what they show us. I don?t think you can learn everything playing this defense one year. That?s almost impossible.?

It?s almost just as difficult to keep intact an entire unit. Yet, the 49ers pulled it off, in part because of players? strong desire to be a part of the league?s best defense.

Having so many pieces intact when this season started has enabled the defense to get a huge jump on other teams, Whitner said.

It didn?t help that last season?s team wasn?t allowed to practice together until the league and the players union agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement in late July.

?We?re almost at the point where we know where each and every player is going to be without having to say anything,? Whitner said. ?It gives us a big jump over the rest of the people in the NFL, but that doesn?t mean we?re going to go out there and dominate right away. It does mean that we?ll be better suited for what offenses throw at us this year, and they?re going to have to change up some things.?

cont..

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/49ers/...e-continuity-emergence-of-offense-into-elite/

 

[Buckskin86]

Whitner's Blog: Breaking Camp
Donte Whitner Hard-Hitting Journalist @DonteWhitner Players Only Blog

Donte Whitner emerged as a leader of the 49ers secondary in 2011 during his first season in San Francisco. A man who takes pride in his mental side of the game, Whitner has also established himself as one of the league?s hardest-hitting safeties throughout his career. The veteran recently spoke with 49ers.com about breaking the training camp setup as well as the team?s development through two preseason games.

It?s always like the last day of school when you break camp. You get the opportunity to get out of the hotel, some teams get out of the dorm room, but no matter what, it?s great when you go back to your own home.

Even though we were in camp and away from home for a while, I would still go to my house periodically. I would stop through to let the cleaning ladies in. I keep my place stocked with a lot of liquids and snacks and things, too.

I am not a big cooker, but I live near a lot of restaurants. Most of the time I go out to eat dinner around where I live. The only thing I keep in my refrigerator is a lot of liquids. There is really no issue stocking those things. The only challenge is just throwing away the old fruits, vegetables and frozen foods. Other than that I was able to transition smoothly.

Coming off the last preseason game against the Texans as a unit we gave up a few plays, but as a whole I think we played pretty good. Houston is arguably one of the top offenses in the National Football League. When you play a team like them with a lot of misdirection, bootlegs, naked throwback screens and throwback deep posts, it?s always tough.

I felt we held our own and did a good job getting off the field on third down. The only thing I wish we would have done better is we could have picked up a couple of turnovers. Those will come as we continue to play more and more. Hopefully we get a few this week.

cont..

http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2/Whitners-Blog-Breaking-Camp/4bad204e-666b-4346-96d8-21079dbc6517

 

[Buckskin86]

Whitner?s Blog: Season Begins
Donte Whitner Hard-Hitting Journalist @DonteWhitner Players Only Blog

Donte Whitner emerged as a leader of the 49ers secondary in 2011 during his first season in San Francisco. A man who takes pride in his mental side of the game, Whitner has also established himself as one of the league?s hardest-hitting safeties throughout his career. The veteran recently spoke with 49ers.com about the team?s preparation for a Week 1 matchup with the Green Bay Packers.

Good news everyone, I?ll be doing this blog all season long for the 49ers Faithful. I?m excited to have our first regular season game this week, too. Being able to get into the season is a really good feeling. We can look back and understand what we have accomplished since we have been here and now move forward. There have been OTAs, minicamps, conditioning, football school, training camp and preseason games.

All the preliminary stuff is out of the way and it?s time for the real deal.

This week, we are going to go out to Green Bay as a whole to test ourselves knowing we put a lot of work in. We know we ended last season on a sour note. We want to get back to the playoffs and have the opportunity to get to the Super Bowl. It all starts with Week 1. Knowing that makes this a very exciting time, but we still have to put in the work to make sure we know our opponents better than they know themselves. That?s what we are preparing to do.

It?s special when you play at Lambeau Field. I played there in 2010 when I was with Buffalo. We lost the game convincingly, but I took away that it?s a really good football atmosphere. The stadium is similar to Buffalo in that it?s located in a residential area. People own houses around the stadium, which makes it pretty cool when you?re driving to the stadium on the team bus. You can understand why people love Green Bay Packers football so much. It?s going to be a test for us, but it?s going to be a great football atmosphere especially for opening week.

cont...

http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2...n-Begins/ff3c8bae-60b1-4e8a-91da-bdd4ab83b92c

 

[Buckskin86]

Donte Whitner Wants Turnovers
Posted by Jacob Most on September 6, 2012

Donte Whitner would like the 49ers defense to establish an identity right out of the gate heading into the team?s Week 1 visit to Lambeau Field.

?When people say ?49ers defense? they are going to talk about turnovers,? the seventh-year safety said.

Turnovers were a major factor in helping the team to a 13-3 record a year ago as Vic Fangio?s unit took the ball away 38 times, tied with Green Bay for the most in the league.

Whitner himself tallied two interceptions and recovered three fumbles in 2011, his first season with the 49ers.

It?s no surprise that taking the ball away has become a mantra for a 49ers defense that returns 10 of 11 starters from last season.

?You can go into the game with the mindset that we are not going to just make the tackle, we are going to strip for the football,? Whitner said. ?If you go to strip the football 50 or 60 plays a game, the football is bound to come out two or three times a game.?

That ball-hawking mentality has paid off in recent seasons as the 49ers defense has forced 51 fumbles since 2009, third most in the NFL.

Whitner has clearly bought in to that approach as evidenced when he forced a key fumble at the San Francisco 2-yard line, which was recovered by Patrick Willis, during last year?s NFC Divisional Playoff game.

?When you have a pass rush like ours and guys that get to the quarterback, push the pocket up the middle and on both sides you have tips and you?re going to get fumbles,? Whitner said in praise of the team?s front-seven. ?When you have guys that are playing physical each and every snap you?re going to get impact fumbles, you?re going to get strips and lawn mower fumbles where we pull the football out.

?The one thing that we can control is to look at the football film to see which guys are loose with the football because that?s the thing you can?t change in a week. You can?t change what you naturally do to get your balance with the football.?

cont...

http://blog.49ers.com/2012/09/06/donte-whitner-wants-turnovers/