Buccaneers assistant Jeff Tedford thanks Aaron Rodgers for NFL chance Jim Corbett, USA TODAY Sports 11:25 p.m. EDT August 7, 2014
(Photo: Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)TAMPA — Aaron Rodgers opened the NFL door for his former University of California mentor, Jeff Tedford, who'd never previously considered walking through it.The winningest man in Cal's football history was flattered to learn a fellow unemployed head coach was recruiting him through Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers quarterback whom Tedford once lured to Berkeley."I got a text last fall from Aaron, who said, 'Lovie Smith is going to be calling you,' " Tedford told USA TODAY Sports. "Then Lovie asked, 'Can you come here to Chicago in a few days?' "Done deal.Fired despite going 10-6 in 2012, the last of his nine years coaching the Chicago Bears, Smith spent 2013 studying new concepts and assembling a wishlist of assistants for the chance he knew would come again.Smith, who went 84-66 with the Bears and led them to Super Bowl XLI following the 2006 season, didn't know Tedford but decided to reach out to a former rival who did."Having played against Aaron, I really respected him as a player," Smith, who was hired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January, told USA TODAY Sports. "I wanted a guy with an expertise at the quarterback position. ... I talked to Aaron a few times. He was in the room with Jeff, knew how Jeff helped his career."He gave Jeff a ringing endorsement."So Smith and Tedford, who also helped develop Trent Dilfer — another Super Bowl-winning quarterback — hunkered down in Smith's basement watching film, talking ball for several days and comparing philosophies."I just wanted to make sure, 'Hey, Jeff, this is what I like to do. What do you like in this situation?' " Smith said.When Smith was hired by the Bucs to replace fired Greg Schiano, he insisted on bringing Tedford aboard along with Bears backup quarterback Josh McCown.Now Tedford has brought jumper cables to a dead-battery offense that ranked last in the NFL a year ago with 277 yards per game. The scheme Tedford will use remains a mystery, but indications are he'll rely on multiple packages that harness the pass-catching abilities of a deep stable of backs as well as a trio of 6-5 receiving targets in Vincent Jackson, rookie receiver Mike Evans and rookie tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins."I was interested in some of the things going on in the college game, some of the no-huddle things Jeff's offenses did," Smith said. "I'm looking for stern teachers."That's what we have in Jeff."The misconception is Tedford will run a system akin to Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly, his former Oregon rival who took the league by high-speed storm in 2013."Chip is really good at what he does, but we'll be multiple with different tempos and the ability to run the ball," Tedford said, excited he might be able to make his own imprint at the pro level."Last year was the perfect opportunity to re-evaluate and say, 'OK, I'm 52. The NFL would be great if it opens up.' ... Lovie creates a great environment."McCown, 35, loves the concepts Tedford installed."Whether it's with faster tempo or different ways to attack with different route combinations we've not done before, things we're going to emphasize will give us an edge on Sundays," said the quarterback.Smith's emphasis on running the ball and playing a brand of defense predicated on taking the ball away should ease pressure on McCown."Lovie's formula doesn't put a premium on the quarterback," Hall of Fame coach John Madden told USA TODAY Sports. "Lovie is a heck of a coach."This is one of those situations where Tampa Bay was great for Lovie Smith. And Lovie is great for Tampa Bay."Smith is driven to hoist that Lombardi Trophy that eluded him against Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts nearly eight years ago."We like our chances of improving," Smith said. "And we do have talent."I couldn't be happier in my dream job."And the veteran Bucs are excited about this season's fresh prospects.Said all-pro defensive tackle Gerald McCoy: "With coach Tedford's scheme and the way our offense is rolling, we're going to be a lot of trouble for a lot of people."***Follow Jim Corbett on Twitter @ByJimCorbett
