When rookie linebacker Kyzir White talks about football, you can see the focus, passion and commitment to the game in his eyes.
It's what you saw after Sunday's win vs. the Buffalo Bills after he recorded his first career interception.
When he talks about his family, those same eyes light up in a different way.
White is one of seven children, three of which have reached the NFL. His oldest brother, Kevin, is a wide receiver for the Chicago Bears, while another brother, Ka'Raun, spent this past summer at training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted wide receiver.
Playing in the NFL was a dream for all three of the White brothers since they were kids, and they took the exact same route to get there. Starting their high school careers in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, they all went on to play at Lackawanna College before finishing their careers at West Virginia University.
"We all are real tight knit with each other," Kyzir said. "If one does something, we usually all just follow each other. That's just how we were raised growing up. We did the same things, played the same sports. With junior college, my oldest brother started it all because his grades weren't the best, and then we just built our relationships with the coaches there, so it felt like family."
Even though the brothers are close, Kyzir said they've been competitive their whole lives, growing up on the field together. That competitive spirit has paid off, giving them all the fire and passion to develop their game.
Kevin went off to college first, finishing his college career at West Virginia (2013-14), and going on to be the seventh overall draft pick for the Bears. Ka'Raun and Kyzir played together at WVU for two seasons (2016-17).
They may across the country from each other, but Kyzir keeps in contact with his family regularly, and even got advice from Kevin on how to handle playing in the league.
"He said just control what you can," Kyzir said. "Give 110 percent and let everything else take care of itself. Don't try to stress yourself over things you can't control."
