There's more to Giants undrafted rookie Reggie White Jr. than a familiar name, a familiar number, and familiar stomping grounds.
No, White Jr. is not the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White, but the other Reggie White who played defensive line in the NFL in the 1990s.
No, he did not ask to wear No. 13 on the Giants as a rookie, becoming the first player to wear the number made famous by ex-Giants star Odell Beckham Jr. since his trade in March.
And no, he is not just "the next Miles Austin," as another undrafted wideout from Monmouth University in New Jersey.
Reggie White Jr. is his own man, and he's gunning for a spot on the New York Giants' opening-day roster.
"[The Giants are] getting a playmaker," says Kevin Callahan, White Jr.'s head coach at Monmouth. "They're getting a dependable, reliable receiver. They're getting a person of great character who is going to represent their organization extremely well. They're getting somebody who is going to add something very positive to their locker room."
On the field and in the locker room, White Jr. is an intriguing addition to Giants' camp.
At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, White Jr. could fill a much-needed role as a red zone target for Eli Manning. He is the second-tallest receiver on the 90-man roster, and the third-heaviest. But White Jr. isn't just a big frame. His ball skills, combined with his size, make for a tough player to cover.
"He's got outstanding hands," Callahan said. "He has the ability to adjust to the ball and he tracks it very well. Sometimes he makes those difficult catches look easy."
White Jr. has, what his Monmouth wide receivers coach, TJ DiMuzio, calls "deceptive speed" for a big guy. He runs about a 4.50 40-yard dash, which is comparable to smaller speed guys like Victor Cruz (4.47) and Antonio Brown (4.47), and slightly better than similar tall receivers like Mike Evans (4.53) and Davante Adams (4.56).
These gifts helped White Jr. to a record-setting career at Monmouth, a program that has yielded NFL receivers like Austin, Chris Hogan and Neal Sterling. No Monmouth Hawk, not even those guys, has ever had more receptions or receiving yards than White Jr., though.
He's also the only receiver in school history to be named an All-American. He led the Big South in receiving yards, touchdowns, yards per game, and catches per game last year. He may not have been drafted due in part to his small school stature, but White Jr. became the best receiver ever at a campus known for producing NFL wideouts.
"Miles Austin was probably the biggest name for [Monmouth], and we're hoping that Reggie's going to be that next guy that continues to push our name out there," DiMuzio said. "He knows this, and it doesn't put pressure on him. When the lights came on, he was even better."
There's no doubt that White Jr.'s clutch nature is part of why the Giants were interested in signing him. According to his coach, though, White Jr.'s character is just as important as his numbers.
"He's a guy that's a friend to everybody on the team, really a friend to everybody on our campus," Callahan said.
Originally from Maryland and having called Long Branch, N.J. home for the last five years, White Jr. packed up in May and moved near the Giants' training facility in East Rutherford. However, he didn't just move for a more convenient commute.
According to his coach, White Jr. uses the Giants' training facility to work out even when the Giants aren't at practice. For him, it's all a part of making the most of his opportunity.
"He's enjoying the competition," DiMuzio said. "He's enjoying being around the players and how the veterans are helping him out, learning the playbook, and he really feels like he belongs there."
And White Jr. isn't the only person who feels that he belongs in the NFL.
"He earned it," Callahan said. "It's not something that's been given to him, there wasn't any luck. He's earned the opportunity that he's getting, and I know that he's ready to make the most of it."