Buccaneers 21, Seahawks 16
Q. Devin, talk about how hard it was playing today and how much you were thinking about your dad.
DEVIN WHITE: I mean, it was very hard to play. Just a lot of emotions. But I tried to turn them into good emotions and just keep a great spirit. That's the relationship we had; just all about ball, all about just going out there and being the best and just getting this thing turned around. So that was kind of the emphasis that we was more focused on leading up to even coming to Germany, like just go over there and put on a show.
Q. After one of your big sacks you looked up; was that just remembering your dad?
DEVIN WHITE: Yeah, it was just like appreciation, just knowing I've got great people, great angels watching over me. It was just like, this one is for you, because I felt like I was going to come out and have a good game. I had a great week of preparation, and then getting ready to get on the plane to get a call like that, it just seemed unreal.
But at the end of the day, I knew I had a job to do, and I just wasn't going to accept no pats on the back and stuff, so I just put my head down and just kept going forward.
Q. Coach Bowles told us he doesn't know how you got on a plane, let alone come over here and play a full football game. What did it take for you mentally, physically, emotionally to be able to do that?
DEVIN WHITE: I mean, I kept it to myself because I'm a person that just can back myself up into a corner and handle everything and figure it out later.
As the week got going and we had to continue to prepare for the Seahawks, which are a great team, I leaned on just being on the football field. I kind of took that in consideration and being out there with my brothers, that kind of put everything at ease, at least when we was out there. Getting to the hotel and I was back by myself, it was a little tougher, but while I was at practice it was just about doing the correct things to go out and win the football game.
Q. Did you think about him while you were out there? I know you pointed to the sky after you had a sack. But did you think him a lot while you were out there or did you try to focus on football?
DEVIN WHITE: Yeah, I was really trying to focus on the game because I know at the end of the day, I'm the man with the mic in the middle; I've got to execute everything. I've got to get all the proper calls in. I was just trying to keep a level head, but the minute I made a big play, I just knew I was going to honor him. It is what it is. I had my head on straight.
Q. You've wanted a takeaway for so long on this defense. Talk about the play where you got the fumble from Geno.
DEVIN WHITE: I mean, I told Antoine that I was going to be the first one to get us back on the takeaway train, and just when I seen him just scrambling around, we was in a cover front, and I just knew I had to make a play on him, so I went to wrap with my right hand and punch with my left, and man, I was celebrating because I knew I got him down, but even more when I seen Joe like, "You got the ball out!"
So that was a big moment for us because we've been on a drought, and I think in my last interview I told you all we've been practicing punching at the ball, so just to see what we do on the practice field come to life in the game, that's a huge accomplishment, and it's a step forward to just being a better defense.
Q. Do you feel like today was a step forward in terms of playing a full 60 minutes as a defense? I know you gave up the two touchdowns in the fourth quarter there, but are you getting closer?
DEVIN WHITE: Yeah, I feel like we're getting closer as a unit, but at the end of the day I think more so giving up the stuff at the end was communication, and that's what it all boils down to. We had people on different pages just because they was going hurry-up, so I feel like we've just got to listen to one another and be sound because if we was all on the same page, we'd take those throws away.
That's just one of those things, one of those hard give-or-take things, but at the end of the day, the defense fought hard and the offense put us in great positions to be able to help them out, as well, and I feel like that was complementary football. I kinda hate that it came down to the wire, but the fans probably loved it because it was a great game and the atmosphere was crazy.
Q. How special was it for you coming over here to play in another country and really show the German fans, really fans from all over, your brand of football?
DEVIN WHITE: It was a blessing. I think more so when you walk in the stadium and you see all the people here supporting, I think that was just a blessing. When we went out and went shopping in our downtime, everybody accepted us over here, and that was just a blessing. Just coming over here to their country, we're just trying to leave it a better place than what we found, and they accepted us everywhere we went. I really appreciate them for that because you can go places and it might not be the same type of environment, but we're thankful and we enjoyed the trip over here and hope we get to come back soon.
Q. Is there any difference between playing in Europe and playing in the United States?
DEVIN WHITE: I think the difference is it's a lot of camaraderie over here. I think one thing, you didn't know who was cheering for who, but you just knew it was loud. Anytime you get to play in front of a loud stadium, you can feed off that energy, and I think that was a good thing for me just getting to feed off the energy. Even if they was cheering for me or cheering for the Seahawks, they was cheering. I think that was a good thing. So I mean, I really love the energy over here.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports