The Bucs Training Camp Diaries are an annual training camp feature on PewterReport.com and we are fortunate to have two really good players to profile in veteran linebacker Kevin Minter, who will offer up his perspective of Todd Bowles’ defense, and wide receiver Scotty Miller, the Bucs’ sixth-round pick, who will take PewterReport.com readers through the trials and tribulations of rookie life in Bruce Arians’ first training camp in Tampa Bay. Look for Miller’s and Minter’s Bucs Training Camp Diaries twice a week throughout training camp and the preseason.

Miller is battling for a roster spot at wide receiver behind established veterans like Pro Bowler Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Breshad Perriman. The Bucs drafted the 5-foot-11, 174-pound Miller for his blazing 4.4 speed and production as a deep threat at Bowling Green where he caught 215 passes for 2,867 yards (13.3 avg.) and 23 touchdowns. Miller had a huge senior campaign for the Falcons where he caught 71 passes for a career-high 1,148 yards (16.2 avg.) and nine touchdowns.

Outside of Bobo Wilson and Justin Watson, Tampa Bay’s fifth-round pick from a year ago, there isn’t much established competition on the roster. The Bucs have six other receivers in the mix for the final two or three roster spots behind Evans, Godwin and Perriman that are either rookies or first-year players. Miller has a chance to shine in training camp and the preseason, but must be a factor on special teams if he is going to make the final 53-man roster in Tampa Bay. That means either winning the punt or kick return duties, and being willing and able to cover kicks and punts, too.

Catching The Deep Ball

By Scotty Miller as told to Mark Cook

One of the big things people always ask me when I go home is about Jameis [Winston], and the thing I always tell people is, is that Jameis is one of the hardest working guys you will ever meet. But he is legitimately the first one there and the last to leave, and his mindset is that he shows up every day ready to work and to get better every single day. He showed up with us rookies on Monday and really worked hard to get on the same page with all of the younger receivers, including myself. I think it is really going to pay off with camp coming up this week.

Bucs WR Scotty Miller – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I love throwing and catching with him. He throws an awesome deep ball, which I love, and that makes it easy to run under and track. I’m really excited for training camp to start on Friday.

We are very lucky to have the three quarterbacks we do. Obviously I don’t know how it is on other NFL teams, but to have those three (Winston, Blaine Gabbert, Ryan Griffin) there are three solid quarterbacks who can get the job done and do a great job of commanding the offense and the huddle. Fortunately I got some work with the first team in mini-camp when Mike Evans was out, and before Mike was out I got a lot of time with Blaine and Ryan. I feel really comfortable with all three. They all throw it a little different, but they all really understand the offense and are all good leaders. I feel good about my relationship with all three.

Since we came in early before the veterans, we really hit it pretty hard on the field. We basically went back to the basics when we got here and started over like in rookie mini-camp. Installing those three phases and making sure we have it all down before all the vets show up. I also think the coaches wanted to see who could pick up from where they left off without having to start over. I saw guys who really studied while we were away on the break and are ready to hit the ground running. I think it will pay off come preseason.

All the rookies started off on the Field Two during the offseason work, and then I made a couple plays one day and then they moved me over to Field One. It was great to be able to play with guys like Chris Godwin, Mike and B.P. (Breshad Perriman) and those veteran guys who have a ton of talent and who work really hard. It was valuable to be around those guys and to see how they find ways to get open. For me it was a big learning opportunity to see how NFL receivers work and different techniques they use during mini-camp.

Bucs WR Scotty Miller – Photo courtesy of Scotty Miller’s Twitter

After mini-camp, the rookies stayed after the vets. We stayed until June 27 to lift and run and stuff. Then I went home for about two and a half weeks, I had my girlfriend and her family up to my place in Wisconsin and I asked my girlfriend Jenna to marry me, and she said yes, thankfully. I got lucky, that’s for sure. I couldn’t be happier, I couldn’t be more excited for her to be my future wife and the future Mrs. Miller, so I’m extremely excited about that. It’s been an awesome summer with obviously getting drafted and coming down here to Tampa to try and make a name for myself down here, and then also for that to happen with the engagement and everything, it’s been an exciting time and we couldn’t be happier.

She’s from New Jersey so I spent some time up there with her, I spent as much time with her as possible because I’m so busy obviously with football being out here. We relaxed at home in Wisconsin. My family has a house on a lake out there so we just hung out on the lake. I’ve been boating my whole life. I’m really into wakeboarding and surfing and all that behind the boat, but this season I didn’t much of that because I didn’t want to twist an ankle or do anything to make me lose my spot here obviously. I also made sure I worked out a lot to stay in shape because these practices down here are a little different. It’s a lot hotter, and the humidity is crazy.

It’s a talented wide receiver. There are a lot of talented guys, I think we have like 13 receivers, something like that total right now in the room. Obviously no one’s going to get here without being extremely talented and having a great work ethic so it’s going to be tough. My mind is just taking everything day by day, one play at a time, and not really worrying about what’s going to happen in the future. I’m just taking the coaching and everything they teach me and try to apply it to my game and show that I’m really learning and really getting better on a daily basis.

So that’s kind of where I’m at going into camp. Just the other day I looked back at rookie mini-camp and watched myself practice and then watched myself these past couple of days. I got so much better – exponentially better – they were probably thinking “What in the world did we draft?” at the rookie mini-camp because it’s such a different feel being out here and the playbook and everything is so different. But I’ve kind of settled in and played my game and played fast. If I continue to play fast, if I take coaching well and work hard, I think I’m going to put myself in the best situation that I can.

For making the team, playing on special teams is going to be huge. I’m willing to do anything on special teams, I’ll run down on kickoffs, I’ll be a gunner on punt, but I mean some of the more important things that a guy like me will be doing is going to be back there catching punts and probably returning kicks as well. That will be something I’ll be working on in camp – I’ll be back there returning for punts and kicks, and I’m excited about that. I think it’s something that I definitely can do and I think I can be really good at it, so I’m really excited about that opportunity.

Bowling Green WR Scotty Miller – Photo courtesy of Bowling Green

I played as a true freshman in college and I was literally on every special teams. I blocked two punts as a true freshman. I was running down on kickoffs. They had me there on field goal block to try and dive to block the kick, and then my sophomore year I became a starter so I kind of stopped doing all that. It’s been a few years but I think most of that is effort and having the heart to go down and do it, and that’s something that I will have, and like I said, whatever coach wants me to do, sign me up, I’ll do it. That won’t be a problem.

I think the fans should know that I’m a confident guy. I’m a hardworking guy. It took a lot for me to get here, if anyone looked at me they’d probably guess that I’m selling insurance, there’s no knock to that but just the way I look they wouldn’t guess that I’m a NFL receiver.

It wasn’t easy getting this far but I’m not done yet, I’ve proved a lot of people wrong along the way, but I wouldn’t have got here without a positive mindset and making good decisions. I’m a Christian kid. I’m a strong believer that Jesus Christ died on the cross for mine and everybody else’s sins, so I think that’s kind of helped me with making good decisions to help me get to where I am today. So I’m going to continue to make good decisions, continue to work hard and hopefully keep proving people wrong. A lot of people wouldn’t think I’d be here. A lot of people probably won’t think I’ll make the team, but that just adds fuel to my fire. I appreciate all that because it motivates me to keep going every single day. Looking forward to seeing you all out at Bucs training camp.

The next Miller’s Bucs Training Camp Diary entry will be published in a few days. Bucs fans and PewterReport.com readers are encouraged to leave their comments or questions for Miller below, and to follow him on social media.

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