Table of Contents
About the Author: Matt Matera
Latest Bucs Headlines
Pewter Report’s Bucs Camp Diaries, a popular training camp feature on PewterReport.com, returns in 2022. We are fortunate to have two really good players to profile in veteran defensive end Pat O’Connor and rookie running back Rachaad White, the Bucs’ third-round pick.
O’Connor will offer up his perspective of Todd Bowles’ defense and special teams. White will take readers through the experience of rookie life in his first training camp in Tampa Bay in the Bucs offense. Look for O’Connor and White’s Bucs Camp Diaries each week throughout training camp and the preseason.
O’Connor is heading into his sixth NFL season with the Bucs. After moving up and down from the practice squad to the active roster, he has solidified himself on the 53-man roster over the last two years in the rotation on the defensive line. O’Connor has notched 1.5 sacks over the past two years and he’s also carved out a niche as a core special teamer. He’ll compete in training camp again to earn a roster spot this season, and also has an opportunity to earn a role as a special teams captain. O’Connor re-signed with the Bucs on a one-year deal this offseason. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Saints last year, but he is fully cleared and ready to roll for camp.
Early Beginnings: Lights, Camera, MACtion
By Pat O’Connor as told to Matt Matera
I grew up playing football outside of Chicago. Went to Saint Rita high school, didn’t really play until I was a junior. I played tight end, pretty bad at it when I had the opportunity, not going to lie. Then, randomly in one game against a Chicago team called Fenwick, got moved to linebacker, had like 18 tackles, kind of killed it and then kind of the rest was history from there. Just played defense through and through from there. Then, I took my talents to old Ypsilanti, Michigan, and played college ball out there. With the whole “MACtion” thing, we were at the height of that, it was cool. Good little exposure for small time schools and for players to kind of showcase their ability when we’re not playing the big-time schools early in the season. It was a great time, loved every second of it.
One of my teammates, Maxx Crosby, who’s with the Raiders now, it’s just how crazy things take off when you get a look like that and to see a player like that. Even one of my other roommates, Andrew Wiley, who plays offensive linemen for the Kansas City Chiefs, those exposure games on the TV, all you need to do is catch one person’s eye and the rest is history from there.
Re-Signing With The Bucs And Making Personal Strides
I’ve been here for, shoot, going on six years now. It’s been a nice little path I’ve had so far. Being drafted to the Lions, having a cup of coffee with them, getting cut like Week 1 and I’ve been here ever since. It’s just kind of like, with the whole coaching staff, the environment, it’s just something that you gravitate toward. You can just sense the will to win here. All the teammates are high-class. Tom (Brady), Lenny (Fournette), Lavonte (David), all those guys you want to be around. It was a no-brainer for me, to be honest. I was kind of blessed and super, super ecstatic when they wanted to bring me back and to be back doing it.
Bucs DE Pat O’Connor – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
My personal stride is just understanding the game better. We’ve been blessed with one of the best, if not the best defensive line coach in the NFL, Kacy Rodgers. He makes us basically dissect everything before the play even happens so we can play faster, know what’s coming. Is it going to be a run, is it going to be a pass? Basically, just being a student of the game through the highest level. I’m able to dissect plays like I said and play as fast as I could. Just being a student of the game, that’s kind of helped me out. Knowing when to make plays when it means the most.
I’m never complacent about anything. Every year, I reset my brain, reset everything, because you can never get too comfortable in situations like this, especially in the NFL because one day you think you’re good, the next day you’re cut. I like to never think of that, to be honest. I kind of just reset everything, kind of like a ‘screw it’ mentality, it’s time to go back to work. Regroup everything regardless of what anyone thinks. I kind of put my head down and just do the work.
The Knee Is Good To Go
I’m good to go. I’ve been cleared for everything. Haven’t missed a stride. I feel good, just got to keep on working at it, but I feel good, feel great. It kind of sucked (getting injured), but everything happens for a reason, I guess. The only thing that sucked, I was playing so well to that point, so it was kind of disappointing to have something like that happen.
Can’t really be too sour about that, it is what it is. S**t happens and I kind of took it as a negative at first and turned it into a positive. It motivated me to recover as strong as I possibly could, as fast as I possibly could and just get back out there. It is what it is, but I ain’t sulking about it anymore. I’m locked and loaded and ready to ride.
I’ve been training mainly in Tampa. There’s a spot right down by Dale Mabry. I’ve been with this trainer named Yo Murphy. I’ve been with him since I was a rookie, so why fix something that doesn’t need to be fixed? So, I stuck with him. Usually Vita (Vea) comes along, he kind of bounces around a lot, so I usually work out with Vita a lot. Donovan Smith pops his head a few times here and there. A majority of it has been guys around the league that I’ve been training with since I was a rookie, so I kind of just stuck with it and stayed here in town.
Bucs DE Pat O’Connor – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Solidifying A Spot On The Roster, First Career Sacks
Shoot, it was the best feeling. Going from kind of like being a bubble guy to not even being the bubble guy. Just getting that dreadful call that everyone hates on the last day of cut day, to kind of solidifying myself as a Swiss army knife guy. I tried to do everything I could as hard as I could, be reliable when needed to be reliable and just kind of not mess up. That’s something that I take pride in, and it’s paved my path to success so far in the NFL.
Long time coming. Kacy always tells us “Stay ready when your number’s called.” Especially toward player(s) like me, Benny (Potoa’e), (Jeremiah) Ledbetter last year, like all the guys that are basically there to kind of just be reinforcements just in case something happens. When something happened, it was my time to go in there, got my sack, it was just a long time coming for me. Being with the defense for, at that point – five years – it was just a blessing.
I did the Will Gholston (sack celebration). The Detroit Knight. That’s Will’s little celebration. I saw him on the sideline doing it, so I was just like “Ah, screw it.” And I was so tired, I couldn’t do s**t.
Carving Out A Niche As A Core Special Teamer
It’s been the most important thing ever. I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by great, great special teamers who kind of paved the path for me. One of our assistants now, Keith Tandy, he was there when I was a rookie and just kind of been looking after me ever since. Just on my ass about everything – being early for meetings, doing this, doing that, film sessions, just trying to be great at it. I take pride in special teams. It’s one of the most important things in all of football, so I take pride in it. Whenever I’m out there for my limited time, I just kind of run with it as hard as I could. I take pride in special teams, I love it.
Bucs DE Pat O’Connor – Photo by: The Buccaneers
Being a captain is something that you always look forward too. To be even considered for that from my teammates and coaches would be such a great thing. I hope that if I keep proving myself, working hard, being vocal, we’ll see what happens. But yeah, I would love that.
**When asked about his blocked punt against the Broncos in the 2020 season, O’Connor said that he mentions it to Mike Edwards every day that he beat Edwards to the ball to recover it.
2022 Training Camp Outlook
We’re excited. Everyone on the team is excited for the practices we’re going to have. It’s been a while to even have people at practices, so it’s going to be a blessing to see everybody and just hear everybody talking all that stuff. I’m excited for the season. I’m going to take off, do what I do best, keep my head down and work hard. Be sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram.
