The NFL's most effective pass-catching running back in the postseason has a fitting nickname.
New England Patriots running back James White also goes by "Sweet Feet," which you probably know if you follow him on Twitter or Instagram.
White indeed has sweet feet, but who bestowed this moniker upon him? The 26-year-old gave the "Cliffs Notes" version Tuesday during an appearance on NBC's "TODAY" show alongside teammate Rex Burkhead.
"It actually came from my high school creative writing teacher," White said. "It’s a little senior skit that they do every year. They already kind of used it at that point.
"I didn’t really use it in college or anything, but once I got to the NFL, my agency wanted me to change my Twitter handle. So, that was just the first thing that came to mind and everybody loved it."
Here's the full story, which the creative writing teacher in question shared to ESPN's Mike Reiss in 2017: Each year during Homecoming Week, a teacher at St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) High School is asked to create a fake story about the football team's opponent.
During White's senior year, the mascot of the opposing team was the Cobras, so the teacher, Adam Aloma, devised a story involving White's great-great-grandfather.
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"The whole story went back to James White’s great-great-grandfather, who came to St. Thomas, and there was a cobra on campus that was terrorizing everybody," Aloma told Reiss. "Everybody was scared of the cobra. Nobody knew how to handle it. Administration was scared. Everyone was locked in their rooms.
“But James’ great-great-grandfather was the only one brave enough to step into the hallways. His feet were so quick that he knew he could try to stomp on the cobra’s neck without getting bitten. So I referred to him as ‘Sweet Feet’ White and said, ‘That’s why James’ new nickname is James 'Sweet Feet' White.' "
Pretty cool, right?
White said Tuesday he didn't use the nickname at Wisconsin, but when his NFL agency requested he switch up his Twitter handle -- "James White" is a pretty generic name, after all -- his high school teacher's story was the first thing that popped into his head.
Considering how many defenders he's juked out since then, he certainly has earned the nickname.
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