Since making the move down to Tampa in June, Bucs’ first round pick Tristan Wirfs hasn’t been thinking about the “murderer’s row” of pass rushers he’ll face in the NFC South, or the hottest place to get dinner in the Bay Area.
Instead Wirfs has been focused on learning his playbook and making up for the 400 to 500 live reps he’s already missed with no OTAs this offseason.
“I haven’t been watching too much tape on individual guys yet,” Wirfs said. “I’m still trying to learn the play book as best as I can. I’m not really looking at a guy’s specific rushes yet, we haven’t even put the pads on. At the same time, when that time comes I’m going to have to get pretty detailed in my preparation because protecting a guy like Tom [Brady] is a pretty big deal.”
But luckily for Wirfs the transition down to his new home has gone smoothly, allowing him to continue getting geared up for the impending NFL season.
“The last three months have been good,” Wirfs said. “I moved down to Tampa on June 6, I just kind of wanted to get acclimated to the heat a little bit and there’s a field down here, it’s called Skyway Park, I was able to train over there. I could get my running in, get some drills in and I got to do that with a couple of my teammates. That was fun, that was good and now getting things rolling. It’s exciting.”
With that many missed live reps and no preseason to get him acclimated to NFL action, getting with some teammates and staying in football shape is paramount for the rookie’s early success, especially when he has the opportunity to learn from a perennial Pro Bowl-caliber lineman in Ali Marpet.
“Right now it’s just been the rookie O-linemen and Ali’s been here and Brad Seaton’s been here, so I haven’t met the other guys in person yet,” Wirfs said. “It’s been nice having Ali around, he’s a good vet to be able to look up to and get advice from, and it’s been me and Brad taking reps at tackle during the walkthroughs and everything. Just being able to see what they do and kind of get a feel for everything has been nice.”
But even without any real, in-game preparation before the season begins, and an expectation that he will likely step right in as the Bucs’ starting tackle on opening day, Wirfs isn’t concerned. He claims that the biggest things he can do to get up to speed is prepare against the Bucs’ talented group of pass rushers, learn his playbook and then execute when Sunday football comes.
After all, Wirfs also became the first offensive tackle to start as a true freshman under Kirk Ferentz at Iowa.
“That’s kind of how my college career started,” Wirfs said. “I was kind of just tossed in there. If it happens that way at this level, I’d be alright with it. I just have to go out there and be my best, that’s all I can ask of myself. You’ve got to prepare every week and then come out and execute, that’s what it really comes down to so if that’s the case where I have to get tossed in there, so be it. I’ll be as ready as I can be and give it my all.”
Entering the draft, Wirfs was applauded for his athleticism, raw power and very high upside. The talent and potential are there. But if you’re looking for an offensive lineman with a mean streak, reminiscent of center Ryan Jensen, Wirfs says that simply isn’t the kind of player he is.
“I don’t know if I’m a different guy so to speak,” Wirfs said, when asked if he flips a switch on the field. “That’s just never been who I am really. I’m not a mean person. When I’m out there I want to get my job done, I feel like if you put a defender on his back and then help him up with a smile on your face and do it over again, I think that’s gonna frustrate him more than if you’re talking crap to him the whole game. I don’t know if there’s necessarily a switch that I would have but I just think you go out there and do your job to the best of your abilities.”
