On Friday, Dolphins quarterback Pat White unexpectedly didn’t show up for the first day of training camp.
On Saturday, White showed up, but not after at least one newspaper in South Florida declared that White would miss all of training camp and possibly the full season due to a “serious non-football” issue.
But then White showed up for practice on Saturday. He later spoke to the media about the situation. Though he answered some questions, many remain.
“I’m having personal issues, they’ve been handled,” White told reporters. “It is what it is, I’m happy to be back out here. [I am] thankful that I have people around me that care about people in general and just thankful that my teammates are here and we’re working and moving on to the next level.”
White wouldn’t talk about the nature of his personal issues. “We can talk about football from here on out,” he said. “My personal issues is over it’s done with. And I’m back to football. Excited to be out here, enthused, and enjoying the atmosphere.”
The speculation seems to center on White possibly having a sudden bout of second thoughts regarding his NFL career. He had a rough first year, punctuated with a nasty concussion on a helmet-to-helmet hit from Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor. During the offseason, he said on Twitter that he’d be better off playing baseball than switching from quarterback to receiver.
Based on a stellar college career and a draft selection in the upper half of round two, White likely expected that his NFL career would be much easier. He’s learning the hard way that it isn’t. So unless he’s willing and able to bust through the ceiling against which his football career is now bumping, returning to baseball could best mesh with his long-term interests.