Seattle Seahawks cut LenDale White

LenDale White was supposed to be a short-yardage weapon for the Seattle Seahawks.

Instead, the former USC standout was just a short-timer.

White was cut Friday, a mere month after the Seahawks traded for him. It was an indication from new Coach Pete Carroll that he doesn’t plan to extend any special treatment to his former college players.

Team insiders say White was not as committed to the program as he should have been and seemed to approach his job as if he were “on scholarship.” It could not have helped matters that, according to an NFL Network report, he likely is facing a four-game drug suspension from the league.

Seahawks General Manager John Schneider issued a statement saying, “It became apparent at this time that LenDale was not ready to be a member of the Seattle Seahawks. It just did not appear to be the right fit at this point in our program.”

Seattle acquired White from the Tennessee Titans last month on the third day of the draft, coming with defensive tackle Keith Vickerson in exchange for picks in the fourth and sixth rounds.

There were questions about White’s dedication even before he came to the Seahawks. He had a problem being on time to meetings with the Titans and ultimately lost his starting job to Chris Johnson, who went on to lead the league in rushing last season.

After the trade, Tennessee Coach Jeff Fisher said, “There were issues [with White] I don’t need to bring up,” but added, “I thought he handled things reasonably well.”

White, backfield mate to Reggie Bush at USC, set a career high with 1,110 yards rushing for the Titans in 2007 and scored 15 touchdowns in 2008. His productivity dropped off sharply when Johnson stepped into the spotlight last season, however, and White finished with 222 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

He could not be reached for comment Friday but posted a Twitter message reading, “God is good. All the time!!”