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White

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- LenDale White held court after a practice in a drizzle Saturday, and while I may have set out to write about other things, it's hard to steer away.

He weighed in at 228, defying people who said he wouldn't keep his weight down during the time between OTAs and camp. He talked about being embarrassed to have ballooned to 265 last year -- a number that he could now be inflating to make the story better and happily dropped into the conversation several times -- and then he shared the biggest secret to the transformation:

"To be honest, it really wasn't a lot of major diet change," he said. "Really watching what I drink. I was a big Patron consumer and that's what it was. I was drinking a lot, I drank a lot of alcohol. I cut that out of my diet all the way, I don't drink at all, I stopped drinking for six months and the weight it just started falling off."

Said fullback Ahmard Hall: "You stay up late at night drinking at clubs, you come home at 3 or 4 in the morning, eating late at night, gaining weight. You take all that stuff out of the equation, you can start doing something. You got to sleep a little earlier, your body feels better. You're more healthy, you lose weight."

"He's looking pretty good out there," Hall said. "He's quick, he's the smallest I've ever seen him. I'm excited to see if he can keep this going the whole season and see what he accomplishes."

I've been up and down on White. Personnel people respect his feet and vision. A lot of players take a long time to see the light, and it's hard not to believe he gets it now.

"It's a tremendous difference and I feel it in my body and I'm happy to be in good shape," White said. "It took me three and a half years, but I think I caught it right on time."

He said he thinks a 4-yard run can now be an 8-yard run, and a 20 can be a 40.

He understands people saying they told him so, and has been flattered by compliments from teammates, GM Mike Reinfeldt and owner Bud Adams.

Point to the contract year if you want to. I don't doubt it as a major element in his motivation.

But if he runs like he's now capable, it could help earn a big team reward. White said he is more concerned with a Super Bowl than his second contract.

He's doing the right things and saying the right things, good signs both.