The Bucs’ young secondary came into last season ranked as one of the worst secondaries in football by some analysts. By season’s end, the group became one of the better units in football on the way to winning Super Bowl LV.

One would think that a shiny new Super Bowl ring and a visit to the White House would make the players in Tampa Bay’s secondary feel like they are top dogs, but the group still feels like they are the underdogs instead. The Bucs secondary heads into the 2021 season feeling underestimated.

“I still think I’m an underdog,” Bucs’ shutdown cornerback Carlton Davis III said. “I think in this game it’s all about respect and I don’t think we got the respect that we want as a DB core and even as a defense. I think we have a point to prove this year, and like I said, it’s all about respect. This year I plan on taking it.”

Bucs CB Sean Murphy-Bunting – Photo by: USA Today

Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting is another player that could be feeling the highs after recording three interceptions in the postseason. But his mindset is that in order to get back to the mountain top again, he’ll need to keep the same work ethic and mentality that he had in getting to the Super Bowl in the first place.

“That’s the mindset that I have, that’s the mindset that all of us have,” Murphy-Bunting said. “That’s the mindset that we should have just going in. We’ve got big name guys on our team, no need to add into that mix. Just establish what we want to establish as ourselves and continue to grow in that aspect. I don’t see myself as being the guy that caught three interceptions in the playoffs. I look at myself as a guy that is ready to work everyday. I’m an underdog. I’ve been an underdog my whole life. I’ve been overlooked my entire life, and I’m not going to act like I’m a champion in the aspect of that. But the work ethic and everything will stay high and we’ll still stay great.”

The secondary is filled with a group of young core players on the Bucs, which also includes third-year cornerback Jamel Dean, third-year safety Mike Edwards and second-year safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. The group has worked to put itself in the position to earn more respect in 2021 coming off a 31-9 Super Bowl victory in which Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ explosive offense was kept out of the end zone.

Winning another championship is the ultimate goal, but a byproduct of that success individually would be working to get a lucrative second contract to continue as a member of the Buccaneers.

“All of us are still unknown guys trying to make a name for ourselves,” Murphy-Bunting said. “All of us are trying to get to that second contract – that big payday. So it starts on the practice field. It starts when you come in and prepare each and every day whether it’s the film, whether it’s the preparation, whether it’s taking care of your body. Just knowing how to be a pro, and I say that every single year that learning how to be a vet, learning how to be a pro, it goes a long way.”