Roddy White Blasts Atlanta Playcalling in Super Bowl Loss

ATLANTA, GA -- Former Atlanta receiver Roddy White is speaking out about the Falcons' second-half collapse against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

White, who was drafted out of the University of Alabama-Birmingham in 2005, played 11 seasons with the Falcons.

Appearing on the "We Never Played the Game" podcast, White said publicly what many a Falcon fan has wanted to scream from the rafters. Namely this: What was Kyle Shanahan thinking when he started calling pass plays late in the game in field goal range?

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"I told Julio (Jones) I would have jumped off-sides," he said.

The extra yardage would have made a pass play unlikely. "Just come back to the huddle and regroup. Because at that point, they were going to run the ball. If they did throw, it would be quick-game (a slant, a 5-yard pattern or three-step drop)."

"I'm glad I'm not a part of that team because I literally would have fought him," he said.

Like all Atlanta fans, White said he was angry with the playcalling after the game.

"Yeah, because you destroyed a dream of a city. It's way bigger than me. The city of Atlanta needed that championship. They had it. Arthur Blank deserved to win that championship, all the coaching changes we went through. It was finally our time to win and it hurt me," he said.

The podcast also shed light on the corrosive relationship White had with Shanahan during the 2015 season, his last. White was noticeably frozen out of several games, to the detriment of the Falcons, who started the season 6-1 before tanking.

He said that offensive coordinator Shanahan was playing games with him. "He just didn't want me in the offense and that's totally fine but I just wished they would have told me that earlier (in the season)."

White said that several teams wanted his services.

"I was really literally close to being a New England Patriots. Literally, like taking calls from Bill Belechick ... my agents calling them. I was like 'I don't have to catch 60 passes. I just want to win.'" he said.

"It didn't happen because they went in another direction. They ended up signing Nate Washington instead of me. I was kind of pissed about it," he said. White said his agent also fielded calls from Minnesota.

He said Tennessee also was interested. "I could have easily been a Titan before they signed Andre (Johnson)," he said.

White said he is coming from a sincere place when he criticizes the team. He said that he is not bitter about the Falcons cutting him.

"I gave everything I had. I had nothing else to give them," he said. "I wasn't bitter about the whole situation at all. I did want to play football another year, but I wanted to win. I wasn't just going to play just to be playing."

He said the Falcons have a shot of getting back to the Super Bowl soon, but probably not next year.

"We Never Played the Game" is hosted by the Atlanta Journal Constitution sports columnist Jeff Schultz. and Zach Klein, WSB-TV sports director.

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