Bucs rookies get crash course in etiquetteGreg Auman, Times Staff Writer Wednesday, May 20, 2015 The incoming class of Bucs rookies haven't had three weeks on the job yet, but they're already getting a crash course on how to be a professional football player. And for three hours on Monday night, that was more Emily Post than post patterns."I walked away from there saying 'What gentlemen, every single one of them,'" said Patricia Rossi, an etiquette coach who met with Bucs rookies and has done other group sessions with NFL and MLB teams. "You see how sweet they are. These are my favorite. They want to learn. They love it and they engage." A modern etiquette seminar isn't so much salad fork vs. dinner fork as it is learning how to handle yourself in various social settings, from projecting the right image in interviews to what makes a good handshake to using social media correctly. Players learn about body language, proper introductions, networking, dining do's and don'ts and other tips that extend far beyond the football field.Rossi, a USF graduate who lives in Safety Harbor, did similar sessions with the Bucs in 2012 and 2013 and with the Bears last season; she'll be in Pittsburgh next week to work with the Steelers. She's also worked with USF athletes as part of the "Enhancing U" campaign that former athletic director and Bucs legend Lee Roy Selmon initiated.The Bucs rookies continue limited work at One Buc Place as they learn a new playbook and transition to the NFL -- the entire team has its first OTA (organized team activity) sessions next week, starting on Tuesday. The team's mandatory minicamp is June 16-18, with preseason training camp likely to start around July 31.
