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S Donte Whitner (Official Thread)

Donte Whitner Communicates with Purpose
Andrew Pentis 49ers.com @49ers

The idea of sliding a high-tech microphone into the shoulder pads of NFL players is simple. It allows the fan to hear – and, with cameras, see – that player’s on-field experience.

This out-of-body experience is the same for the player himself. At least that's the case for 49ers safety Donte Whitner, who was "Mic'd Up" by 49ers Studios in Week 1.

“I saw it posted it on Twitter, and I went to 49ers.com to watch the rest of it,” Whitner said. “When I had an opportunity to go and watch it myself, I got to see something that everyone else sees, talking to other players, talking to your own teammates, showing excitement and emotion, you forget that unless you see it.

“Actually I forgot that I had it on (during the game). That’s how it is usually when you get mic’d up, you forget that you have it on. So everything was natural, everything was real, so it was pretty cool.”
cont...

http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2...-Purpose/4aaf3664-1c5e-4a6b-9ff7-4158cd4fcdf9

 
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Donte Whitner: Any big hit in the NFL is automatically a flag
Posted by Michael David Smith on September 23, 2013
whitner-e1379978626487.jpg

AP
San Francisco safety Donte Whitner was penalized on the first play of Sunday’s loss to the Colts. He wasn’t happy about it.

It was a bad call,” Whitner told CSNBayArea.com. “I guess it was a big hit. Any big hit now in the National Football League is automatically a flag.”

Whitner drilled Colts running back Ahmad Bradshaw after Bradshaw picked up three yards on a short pass and a flag flew immediately. Referee Terry McAulay announced, “Personal foul, unnecessary roughness, illegal contact with the crown of the helmet by the defender,” and marched off 15 yards for the Colts.

But replays showed that Whitner led with his shoulder, not the crown of his helmet. Whitner is right: The officials called a penalty not because he led with the crown of his helmet, but because he hit Bradshaw hard, and NFL officials have been so conditioned to look for helmet-to-helmet contact that sometimes they see that contact even when it isn’t there.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...y-big-hit-in-the-nfl-is-automatically-a-flag/

 
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Whitner on penalized hit: ‘I think I’m just supposed to let them catch a TD now’
Posted on September 28, 2013

Another week, another penalized hit … another incorrect call by an unofficial?

That’s Donte Whitner’s stance after the 49ers safety was flagged for an unnecessary roughness penalty for his end-zone hit on Rams wide receiver Chris Givens on Thursday night.

Givens soared high to grab a would-be 12-yard touchdown, but Whitner separated him from the ball with a jarring left-shoulder-to-the-helmet shot.

Incompletion. Penalty flag.

“I think I’m just supposed to let them catch a touchdown now,” Whitner said on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Friday (audio here). “I think that’s what the National Football League wants, but I’m not going to give them that. I’m going to continue to play physical, continue to hit the right way, lead with my shoulder, and I’m not targeting anybody’s head.”



In Week 3, Whitner had a similar message for the NFL after he was assessed an unsportsmanlike penalty for hitting Colts running back Ahmad Bradshaw with the crown of his helmet. Replays, however, showed Whitner hit Bradshaw with his shoulder. The NFL subsequently said the hit was legal and Whitner wouldn’t be fined.

“I guess it was a big hit,” Whitner said after the loss to the Colts. “Any big hit now in the National Football League is automatically a flag.”

On Thursday, Whitner clearly delivered a shoulder to Givens’ facemask, snapping the wideout’s head back. Whitner noted the difficulty of avoiding an offensive player’s head in such a situation. Whitner raced over to hit Givens, who was in mid-air and coming down with the ball when he was belted.

“For a guy that’s going up to catch a football and coming down, it’s hard to find where to hit him,” Whitner said. “And I even backed off a little bit, turned and gave him my shoulder. So I don’t know what I was supposed to do in that situation or what they want me to do.”

Whitner plans to appeal if he’s fined for the hit. Noting his hit on Bradshaw, he’s hopeful an appeal won’t be necessary.

“They gave me a 15-yard flag and two days later they called the 49ers and said it wasn’t a flag, it was a legal play and I wouldn’t be fined,” he said. “So it looks like it could possibly be the same thing two weeks in a row.”

http://blog.sfgate.com/49ers/2013/0...-im-just-supposed-to-let-them-catch-a-td-now/
 
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Whitner says he’s changing his name

49ers safety Donte Whitner was fined $21,000 for a Thursday night hit, and he’s not happy about it.

He’s sufficiently unhappy about it to protest the fine by launching a collection of four T-shirts bearing the message “#LegalHitner.”

(At $28 per shirt, here’s hoping it comes with a bowl of soup. Or a three-pound lobster.)

Now, Whitner has gotten so caught up in the movement that he is changing his name to, yes, Hitner. (At least his new name doesn’t look and sound like the name of one of the most hated and despicable men who ever lived. Oh, wait.)

Whitner has announced on his Twitter page that, after getting permission from his mother, Whitner officially has dropped the “W” in his name.

Entire article: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/10/02/whitner-says-hes-changing-his-name/
 
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Donte Whitner Playing ‘Better’ in 2013
Taylor Price 49ers.com @TaylorPrice49

101513-Whitner-Header.jpg


The name change might be overshadowing the on-field product.

Donte Whitner made headlines when he revealed his plans to officially file paperwork and change his last name to “Hitner,” but the 49ers safety has earned praise from his coaches for his recent stretch of play.

Most of what’s been written about the 49ers safety has been about his name and not his play on the field.

Whitner, an eighth-year pro, has 32 tackles, five pass breakups, one interception and one forced fumble through the first 6 weeks of the 2013 season. In comparison, Whitner had 27 tackles, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and no interceptions in the opening six games of the 2012 season.
“I think he’s played even better than he had last year when he made the Pro Bowl,” defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said last week. “He’s still tackling very well. He’s running our operation back there… He’s just playing with a lot more confidence. And he’s playing a little bit faster.”

Fangio credited Whitner’s knowledge of San Francisco’s defense as a key factor in his steady play in 2013.

“He’s having a lot of fun and he’s kind of become a leader of the secondary, and a leader on the team,” Fangio added.

cont...

http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2...-in-2013/fb3f56a6-824d-4414-be9c-7f19e1662e9d
 
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Whitner couldn't change name to 'Hitner' until mom gave approval
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Whitner officially changing name to 'Hitner'
October 2, 2013


whitner-donte-ecu_0.jpg

Donte Whitner was flagged and fined $21,000 for a shoulder-to-helmet hit against the Rams. (USA TODAY IMAGES)



SANTA CLARA -- Pro Bowl 49ers safety Donte Whitner, who was fined $21,000 for what the NFL determined was an illegal hit, invested an additional $27 in a legal name change this week.

“Yeah, it’s legal,” Whitner said. “I’m taking the ‘W’ off. H-I-T-N-E-R.”

That’s right. His new legal name will be Donte Hitner, and he hopes to have it become official with his new name on the back of his 49ers jersey for the team’s Oct. 13 game against the Arizona Cardinals at Candlestick Park.

“I hope so,” he said. “I have my fingers crossed.”

Whitner said Wednesday he has thought about a legal name change for some time. All he needed was approval from his mother, Deborah, to make it legal. Deborah Robinson plans to change her name back to Whitner, her maiden name, Donte said.

“I asked my mom,” he said. “She said no in the summer. And she said, 'yes' three nights ago. It’s pretty cool.”

Donte said his uncle, recently released from prison, helped convince her to allow the name change.

“My uncle just came home and he pretty much convinced her,” Donte said. “He was there for me as a little boy and he went away for awhile in prison. We talk all the time.

“He said, ‘This is the National Football League, you’ve always had a dream to do this and your name coincides with what you like to do on the football field. I think taking $27 and taking a letter off your name is worth it.’”
cont...

http://www.csnbayarea.com/49ers/whitner-officially-changing-name-hitner

 
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‘Hitner’ name-change request withdrawn, according to Ohio probate court
Posted by Cam Inman on November 19th, 2013

Updated: “I had to withdraw the name change until after the season. Judge wouldn’t allow it without me being present,” Whitner explained on Twitter.

Donte Hitner, it isn’t.

Rather than ask an Ohio judge to grant a name-change request Tuesday, 49ers safety Donte Whitner withdrew his application to drop the ‘W’ from his surname, according to the Cuyahoga County Probate Court.

Whitner, a Cleveland native, formally filed his name-change paperwork Oct. 10. “The matter is hereby dismissed,” Judge Laura J. Gallagher posted on the court docket after the application was withdrawn from Tuesday’s hearing.

Whitner voiced a desire to change his name after he drew unnecessary-roughness penalties in back-to-back games, including a touchdown-saving hit in St. Louis that cost him a $21,000 fine.

He made a legal, hard hit to prevent a fourth-down completion in Sunday’s 23-20 loss the New Orleans Saints. He also gave up his first touchdown in coverage this season.

Initially wanting to change his name last summer, Whitner filed an official request in court once he got the blessing of his mother, Deborah.

“Everything we do is for the fans. It’s all entertainment,” then-Whitner said last month. “But at the same time, that’s what I do, it’s my game. Along with some things that have happened recently.”

Whitner is in his third season as the 49ers’ starting strong safety. He is scheduled to become a free agent after this season.

Had the court granted his name change, he could have unveiled that “Hitner” name on the back of his No. 31 jersey as soon as Monday night’s game at Washington, but only if he’d bought up all of the remaining “Whitner” replica jerseys made by NFL-sponsor Nike.

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/49ers/...st-withdrawn-according-to-ohio-probate-court/
 
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49ers' Whitner has improved on pass coverage
Eric Branch
Saturday, November 30, 2013



  • Dante Whitner's pass-coverage skills, an issue last season, have improved this year. Photo: Kevin C. Cox, Getty Images


As with many stories of self-improvement, Donte Whitner's began with a question: What are my weaknesses?

Such a query, of course, can be difficult to pose because the answer can deflate egos and shatter self-images.

And that was the case with the 49ers' safety, who received candid feedback this offseason from defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and secondary coach Ed Donatell.

Whitner, 28, an elite run-stopper who is among the NFL's hardest-hitting safeties, was coming off the first Pro Bowl season of his career in 2012.

Still, the assistants weren't stumped for an answer to his question: According to Pro Football Focus, Whitner last season allowed the most touchdown passes (eight) among safeties, and quarterbacks had a 128.5 passer rating when throwing in his direction, the second-highest mark in the league.

How can how you improve, Donte? Whitner knew what was coming. But that didn't make it easier to digest.

"In any phase of life, any type of job that you have, if someone tells you that you suck at part of it, it's really going to pierce you," Whitner said. "And that's basically what they told me. Vic Fangio and coach Donatell basically said, 'This is part of your game that you suck at.' ... So, it's humbling. It did sting for a couple weeks."

Seven months later, it's clear Whitner responded by perspiring instead of pouting.

After 11 games, the fruits of his offseason work are on display. Among the 52 safeties who have played 500 snaps, Whitner ranks sixth in passer rating allowed (55.8), is tied for second in passes defensed (five) and is fourth in completion percentage surrendered (52.9). In addition, he has allowed one touchdown pass and has matched his career high with two interceptions.

cont...
http://www.sfgate.com/49ers/article/49ers-Whitner-has-improved-on-pass-coverage-5024848.php
 
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Donte Whitner on future: ‘I definitely want to be here’
Posted on December 3, 2013
by Eric Branch in 49ers

On the heels of the first All-Pro season of his career in 2012, 49ers safety Dashon Goldson cashed in, landing a five-year, $41.25 million contract from Tampa Bay in March.

Could that bit of recent history repeat itself this spring?

Safety Donte Whitner, a Pro Bowler in 2012 who is in the midst of his best season, is the final year of a three-year, $11.75 million contract. In July, he acknowledged he’d like to join players such as right tackle Anthony Davis, linebacker NaVorro Bowman and defensive tackle Justin Smith and receive a contract extension.

Nearly five months later, though, Whitner is prepared to hit the free-agent market in March.

“There’s no news on that front,” Whitner said last week when asked about in-season contract talks. “I want to be here, but like every team they have whatever they’re going to do. They have their (salary) cap, they have guys that they want to be bring back. I don’t know. We have five regular-season games left, so we’ll see where it goes from there. I definitely want to be here. I think we have something special on this defense. Young guy like (rookie) Eric Reid, I like playing with him. I like this secondary and the rest of the guys. I like coming to work. So we’ll see what happens.”

Whitner, 28, figures to earn a lucrative deal – somewhere – due to his physicality, leadership and vastly improved coverage skills. I spoke to Whitner about his upgraded coverage for this story last week. Since Whitner is always interesting, I thought the highlights of the interview were worth sharing:

(Secondary coach) Ed Donatell said you approached him in the offseason and said you wanted to improve ….

DW: That’s when I asked him for all the things I could get better on. He went up there, he took a couple weeks, he broke it down individually, as far as each individual play. Coverage at one point. Different coverages. Cover 3. Cover 2. Cover 1. I went up there probably three or four times, sat with him in his office. We would watch the film together, break it down and he would show me, this is where you need to improve. The first thing I needed to improve on was I dropped some weight. I was used to playing around 206.

Right now I’m playing around 200. He told me that he needed me – Vic (Fangio) actually told coach Donatell that he needed me to get better in all phases of coverage. So that was another thing that fueled me. I didn’t realize that a lot of people — even with LeBron James and even with Michael Jordan — they are always going to say there’s something that you can’t do. So you’ve got to take that thing they say you can’t do, that you struggle on, and try to make it a plus. And I feel like I’ve done that this year.

What fueled you to improve?

cont...

http://blog.sfgate.com/49ers/2013/12/03/donte-whitner-on-future-i-definitely-want-to-be-here/

 
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Donte Whitner: ‘We’re the Mighty 49ers’
Taylor Price Senior Reporter 49ers.com @TaylorPrice49

Donte Whitner isn’t backing down from the hype.
The hard-hitting 49ers safety is comfortable with the attention on this week’s matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.

San Francisco’s coaching staff has maintained the divisional matchup is another contest like any week, but Whitner’s not exactly buying it. If Seattle is victorious on Sunday, the Seahawks will become division champions and snap the 49ers two-year streak as the NFC West's top team.

“Coaches are always going to say that, but we’re excited to test ourselves,” Whitner said on Thursday. “We really believe we’re the mighty 49ers and they’re the mighty Seahawks. We’ll see who comes out on top.”

San Francisco’s defense, a group filled with Pro Bowl talent, has raised its level of play since a Week 2 loss in Seattle. The unit ranks No. 5 in total defense, allowing 311.7 yards per game. San Francisco is No. 3 against the pass (allowing 206.2 yards per game) and ranks No. 11 against the run (allowing 105.5 yards per game).

The 49ers also rank No. 3 in points allowed per game (16.4).

With Seattle’s No. 1 ranked total defense and pass defense coming to town, Whitner said he was eager to compete on the same field as the secondary known as the “Legion of Boom.”
“There’s so many matchups and so many positions on the field where you want to say you’re better than the opposition,” Whitner admitted. “A lot of people don’t say that, but you really do.”

So while Whitner and the 49ers defensive backs will look to limit the production of Seattle’s offense, they also want to win the game and walk off the field feeling like they were the best defense at Candlestick Park.

“Inside of that, it’s a team game and we want to win that game,” said Whitner, who ranks third on the 49ers with 48 tackles.

“We’re very confident,” Whitner went on to say. “They’re very confident. (It’s) two teams that are similar when you look at us and it’s going to be a good game on Sunday.”

cont...

http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2/Donte-Whitner-‘We’re-the-Mighty-49ers’/ebcde45f-bb4d-4e9d-843c-bf4de0b5025d
 
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