How James White felt about those shout-outs during Bucs-Cowboys

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If you had "James White role" on your NBC broadcast bingo card for Buccaneers vs. Cowboys, you were more than covered Thursday night.

The broadcast team of Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth mentioned the New England Patriots running back several times during the NFL season opener, noting how Tampa Bay running back Giovani Bernard is serving in the "James White role" for quarterback Tom Brady this season.

White watched Thursday night's game and admitted he got a kick out of hearing his name multiple times on the broadcast.

WATCH: Brady, Gronk connect for two TDs in season opener

"Yeah, I heard that quite a few times," White said. "Me and Gio, we're very similar players, similar stature, and a lot of the things I can do he can do too, so I'm sure he'll have a lot of success down there.

"... Playing with Tom for so long, they’re probably going to keep saying that."

The comparison makes sense: White was one of Brady's favorite targets out of the backfield in New England, catching 320 passes from Brady over their six seasons together. Bernard boasts a similar skill set, with at least 30 receptions in all eight of his NFL seasons to date.

White and Bernard even went to the same high school (St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida), and when Bernard signed with the Bucs in April, he called White to get the skinny on playing with Brady.

White might be selling himself a little short, though. The seven-year veteran was a focal point of New England's offense for several years, leading the Patriots with 87 receptions in 2018 and finishing second on the team with 72 catches in 2019. Bernard hasn't caught more than 50 passes since his rookie year, so if Brady had to choose between the two, we'd imagine he'd select the guy still on the Patriots.

The Bucs reportedly had interest in signing White this offseason, but the 29-year-old re-signed with the Patriots, where he'll aim to fill the -- you guessed it -- "James White role" for rookie QB Mac Jones.

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