If you spent years studying what characteristics each NFL coach wants each of their players to embody, you’d be hard-pressed to figure out a consistent, accurate answer that matches up to a likely candidate. Draft analysts and scouts are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to figure out the answer of who will fit where.

If you were to ask Buffalo Bills’ head coach Sean McDermott what characteristics and abilities appeal to him in an NFL player, he’d point to No. 27 on his team, Tre’Davious White.

White started his rise to success both on and off the field at Green Oaks High School in Shreveport, LA. He was Valedictorian of his graduating class and did all this while also being a five-star recruit on the football field.

“If you graduated from high school in my neighborhood it was like having a college degree. There’s a slim chance of that,” White said to Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com.

“There were 400 people in my freshman class and when I graduated we had maybe 80. That just tells you people take the wrong road and there’s a high chance that people take the wrong road where I’m from. I just wanted to be different.”

Throughout his life, White has built strong characteristics of determination and commitment. When posed with the decision of leaving for the NFL Draft after his junior year at LSU or staying and finishing up his degree, White chose the latter. He was whimsical about his reasoning in 2016 while at the SEC media day.

“I came back because of the opportunity to eat for free,” said White.

“I wanted to be stress-free for one more year. After I graduate after this season, I’ll be ready to focus on my NFL career, and that will be a business. And I wanted to be the first in my mom’s family to graduate. That means a lot to me and my family.”

It was personal for White. He decided to stay while being tempted by the money of the NFL. He stayed on his own path and achieved something of greater value than money with a diploma and built even more perseverance.

On April 27, 2017, the Bills decided to take the LSU Tiger at No. 27 overall, the jersey number White later selected to accompany him in this new chapter of his life. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott lauded the rookie after making the selection.

“Certainly, with the character in this case that Tre’Davious White has, we felt good about that person off the field,” said McDermott.

“Again, wearing No.18, what that means at that school, a four-year starter, Valedictorian…that doesn’t happen every day and in particular at the corner position.”

Many noticed the similarities between White and McDermott from the start, noting White’s Twitter which beams “Trust The Process” as his bio.

We’re just five games into the McDermott era in Western New York and most are starting to catch glimpses of what McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane are trying to do with their process. The type of character their team embodies and the heart each individual plays is an accomplishment that many Bills coaches have tried to achieve in the past. However, they have been unable to do so, resulting in a 17-year playoff drought.

White’s NFL career is off to a strong start, as he leads the league in pass breakups through the first five weeks of the season. In fact, he’s the only NFL player to ever have at least 11 through five games.

List of every single player in NFL history with 11 pass breakups through 5 games: -Tre'Davious White (@TreWhite16) Per @pfref — TheBillsWire (@TheBillsWire) October 11, 2017

White’s accolades don’t stop there – he’s currently ranked as the 2nd most likely rookie to win Rookie of the Year by Pro Football Focus.

White touched on the challenges of the NFL and what it takes to continue to succeed at this level.

“We know that any given Sunday, any team can lose in this league,” said White while speaking to the media last week. “We have to trust the process and continue to improve each and every week. I feel like if we do that, we’ll be fine. We have a great group of guys in the locker room, guys that know what it takes to win, and those guys are willing to do anything to win.”

The process. The process has taken Tre’Davious White from valedictorian of his high school to the coveted No. 18 at LSU and now to a key piece of a new era in Buffalo.

The process has brought Sean McDermott and Tre’Davious White together as they join forces to help move along the success they both seek for the Bills.