It was on the morning of Nov. 3, several hours before the Arizona Cardinals defeated the Chicago Bears, that defensive coordinator Nick Rallis welcomed a newborn son into the world.
The story went to another level when it was learned that the boy’s middle name was Kyzir in honor of inside linebacker Kyzir White.
That’s why it was so jarring earlier this week, only two months later, that White posted what appeared to be a cryptic goodbye on Instagram. It said, “Thank you AZ,” and that prompted a response from fellow inside ‘backer Mack Wilson Sr., who wrote, “Don’t do this to me. Appreciate you for everything seven, for real bro. The true epitome of a leader. Go get yours.”
That, of course, was reference to the fact that White is scheduled to hit free agency on March 12 after signing a two-year contract in 2023, shortly after Jonathan Gannon was named head coach and hired Rallis. Both were with White in Philadelphia.
Gannon conducted exit interviews with players Monday and Tuesday, so we are left to wonder what he told White, who will be 29 in March.
Was it that his play was descending, which an NFL pro scout told me this week and that the team was moving on to get younger at the position? Or that re-signing him before the start of the league year was not a priority, and that he was welcome to see what was available in the market, but the door would be open after that?
That scout noted that White will “descend quickly if he loses a half step.”
We can only speculate and wonder what was communicated to White until something happens in two months, but there was still surprise because of the respect there is for a player that was voted a team captain and was responsible for relaying the defensive calls from Rallis.
This season, he played 1,018 defensive snaps (94 percent) and had 137 tackles (60 solo) and nine tackles for loss.
It’s also an eye-opener to reflect back to what motivated Rallis to bestow that name on his son.
He said then, “Kyzir specifically, I can tell my son ultimately what stands out about him and why he’s a captain is he’s the ultimate teammate, ultimate team-first guy. The model for accountability. There are so many stories I could probably list to you, but the guy shows up every day with a smile on his face ready to go to work.
“Takes a lot of ass chewings from me to be honest and he’s phenomenal with it like, ‘Yeah I like that! You make me better!’ It’s that kind of player that I have a lot of respect for.”
When asked about his relationship with other players, Rallis said, “As a coach, I have a great appreciation for being a part of a lot of players’ careers, and it’s a small part, because there’s so much that goes into what makes them great. I think back to when I was growing up and how I looked up to professional football players or college players and idolized them. There are people out there who do the same for these guys currently and the amount of work they put in to be who they are. It’s greatness.
“It’s cool to be a part of helping them get to where they are in their career and build a legacy. It’s kind of an appreciation that I have for a lot of guys that I’ve been around. Just being able to honor not just Kyzir but every player that I’ve touched in some sort of way and resembling that through my child’s name.”
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