Perhaps it should've been obvious, back when Kyzir White hurt himself last season in Houston against the Texans, that the linebacker wasn't going to just accept it.
The veteran thought it was just a cramp – not the torn bicep it turned out to be – and played the rest of the drive on defense, playing essentially one-armed. It was not an ideal way to take on NFL blockers, and even when the game ended, White was still in full uniform even as many healthy teammates had changed for the flight home.
After that, he became a de facto assistant coach, because he wasn't going to disappear even with his season over.
"It would drive me crazy being away and doing my own thing," White said Monday, on the first day of the Cardinals' voluntary offseason program. "It was important to me to stay in the building."
White never took a vacation this offseason. Rehab took precedence as he works his way back to being the green dot on defense, pairing with safety Budda Baker as the heart and soul of the unit.
It tracks. White had played the first 683 defensive snaps of the Cardinals' season until he went down.
"He's one of our leaders, one of our high performers, he runs the defense," coach Jonathan Gannon said. "The value added, you can't put a price tag on it."
Year Two of the Gannon era started the two-month process that will encompass draft, OTAs and minicamps, the installations and learning curves every team gets before a final summer break in mid-June. After that, training camp starts in late July.
Some change is coming – Gannon wasn't getting specific – as what he learned as a rookie head coach is put into practice.
"I told them there are some things that are going to be 'same as,' I told them there are some things that are slightly tweaked, and there going to be some brand-new things," Gannon said. "Hopefully the growth we had throughout the year and then this offseason, the players understand that and the why behind it."
White is one of the players that will be key to the implementation.
"They know how we want to operate on a daily basis with our process, and in turn, and they did it last year, but they take it over," Gannon said. "I don't have to tell (linebacker) Mack (Wilson) what is expected. Kyzir tells him. It's a cool thing because you see the connection with the players."
Wilson is one of the Cardinals' defensive free agents signed to bolster the unit; he is similar to White in style and in personality. That is the kind of mentality Gannon seeks on his team and his defense.
"Kyzir, he's a dawg though," Wilson said last month. "I watched him last year before he had his little injury. Kind of reminds me of myself. Downhill thumper, can do it all."
"Put me with a guy like that," Wilson added, punctuating with a sly smile, "you tell me."
White loves the idea of playing with Wilson, but he's the type of player who loves playing with anyone. He's the type of player who loves playing.
He made sure to attack his rehab has hard as he could, and "not have any self-pity." That too plays into the mentality the Cardinals like to have on the roster.
"It's time to get back to work," White said.
