LenDale White: Pete Carroll was ‘coward’ for way he cut me
When LenDale White was traded from the Titans to the Seahawks in 2009, many thought he had a great opportunity to resurrect his NFL career playing under his former college coach, Pete Carroll. Unfortunately, White didn’t end up making the 53-man roster in Seattle. And we all know how he felt about Carroll releasing him.
White has ripped Carroll, who coached him at USC, numerous times in the past. In a lengthy interview with Zach Helfand of the Los Angeles Times, the 32-year-old explained that it was more about the way Carroll cut him, not the decision itself.
“I’m more mad at Pete, the Seahawk situation, because he handled it like a coward,” White explained.
White said he considered Carroll a father figure when he played for the Trojans, and he envisioned the coach sitting him down, telling him he loved him, and explaining why his game wasn’t where it needed to be. Instead, Carroll informed White of his release over the phone.
“Unfortunately, the timing and circumstances surrounding LenDale’s release didn’t afford me the opportunity to speak with him in person — something I always try to do,” Carroll wrote in an email to the LA Times. “I am sorry he feels hurt by the situation and truly wish him well.”
Following his release from the Seahawks, White never played in another NFL game. He spent some time with the Denver Broncos in 2010 but never recorded a touch.
Compared to some of the things White said about Carroll in the past, his latest comments were tame. Still, it is obvious he still holds a grudge more than eight years later.
