FAB 5. SR’s Buc Shots

• SAPP HELPED KIFFIN GET IN BUCS RING OF HONOR: Bucs Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp didn’t always see eye-to-eye with legendary defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, but the QB Killa helped Kiffin get in the Bucs Ring of Honor this year. The Bucs announced Kiffin’s selection at his 80th birthday celebration the team threw for him at Raymond James Stadium this spring.

Former Bucs DC Monte Kiffin – Photo by: Getty Images

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 concerns, Kiffin’s actual induction ceremony will be postponed to the 2021 season.

“I got some bad news the other day – they said they cancelled it,” Sapp said. “I pushed that. I told [Tampa Bay chief operating officer Brian] Ford, ‘We got me, [Derrick] Brooks and [John] Lynch. You can’t leave my coordinator out before he goes. Don’t do him like that. If there is one person that the damn Buccaneers meant the world to it was Monte Kiffin because Monte Kiffin didn’t go home after work. He slept there.”

Kiffin was notorious for often spending the night at One Buccaneer Place after staying up late watching film and preparing for opponents. Sapp recalled the time when he and Kiffin stopped butting heads in an interview I conducted with him this week.

“This is my story, and I swear to God this was the one time I felt sorry for Monte and I said I would never, ever go at him like I used to,” Sapp recalled. “Hey, I wanted to rush and Monte wanted to blitz, so we had a little back and forth. Well, Minnesota came out and lit our ass up one time and put up over 30 or something on us. We’re coming out of the stadium and I’m the last one out. I’m pissed. And [my daughter] Mercedes comes out and runs and jumps into my arms, and I have to turn it off then. When your baby is in your arms you have to turn it off, saying ‘Oh, Daddy, I thought we had them today!’ At this point I’m standing still and Monte Kiffin and his wife are next to us. What she said to him cut him and me at the same time.

“She said to Monte, ‘Damnit, if you aren’t coming home, you can at least stop them from scoring!’ I was done! I was done! I put the baby down and looked at Monte and said, ‘I’ll see you Monday, buddy. And we’re going at it – you got me?’ I ran to the car and we got up a few miles past the stadium past the Mercedes-Benz dealership going north and I turned to my wife and said, ‘Baby, whatever you do – if I ever come out of a game and I didn’t play right and gave up a bunch of points and you want to say it … don’t say shit to me, please. And please don’t let anybody hear you say shit to me! (Laughs) I told Kiffin after that, ‘Dog, whatever you need me to do, I’m with you! I’ll do it. I heard what your wife said to you and that hurt me too, dog!’”

Monte Kiffin and Scott Reynolds – Photo by: Ashley Reynolds/PR

Like Sapp, I’ve campaigned for Kiffin to be in the Bucs Ring of Honor, too. After all, not only is the architect of the Tampa 2 defense deserving based on the dominant defense he built with the Bucs from 1996-2008, but he’s also won more Bucs games than anyone else in Tampa Bay history with a 111-97 record over his 13-year career as defensive coordinator, spanning the Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden regimes.

“Kiff deserves to be up in the Ring of Honor, too,” Sapp said. “Tony’s there. Jon’s there. Cover 2 – the D-coordinator deserves to be up there. Let’s get him in before he goes.”

“And you see what happened to our boy Gerald McCoy – what the hell? How do you sign a contract that says if I blow my quad you get your money back and I only get this amount? How do you call a shot like that? I’ve never seen a contract like that. Who lets you sign that? You get $9 million for being on I.R., but now you give back $6 million and you only get $3 million? You knew you were a bum. You knew you weren’t going to make it. That’s why you signed that contract. He’s never had a quad injury. You’ve watched Gerald’s career just like I had. Gerald’s never had a quad injury. How do you stick that in there?”

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• WHO WILL BE THE BUCS CAPTAINS IN 2020? The Bucs will be voting for team captains in a few short weeks for the 2020 campaign and there will be some interesting results because of a plethora of options. New quarterback Tom Brady and three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans are locks on offense, and the team will likely select one more on that side of the ball.

Last year it was Evans, quarterback Jameis Winston and left guard Ali Marpet, who was also a captain in 2018. Will Marpet continue to hold on to that distinction for a third straight year, or will center Ryan Jensen, who has become the leader of the offensive line, get anointed as a team captain in 2020? Jensen was regarded as the team’s best lineman last year.

Bucs ILBs Devin White and Lavonte David – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Lavonte David has been a long-time captain, and is a lock to receive that nod again. Outside linebacker Carl Nassib was also selected as a captain last year, but he’s gone and could be replaced by edge rusher Jason Pierre-Paul, who is the most vocal player on defense. The 31-year old Pierre-Paul is entering his third season in Tampa Bay and has yet to be named a captain.

Or will middle linebacker Devin White get the nod instead of JPP? The middle linebacker is the quarterback of the defense and White has stepped up his vocal leadership this summer after a strong end to his rookie season. While Shaquil Barrett made the Pro Bowl and led the league in sacks with 19.5 last year, he’s not a very vocal leader and might not be in the running.

The Bucs had six captains last year and that is the limit set by the league, although four teams – Detroit, Minnesota, New England and the New York Giants – named seven team captains in 2019. The sixth team captain last year in Tampa Bay was running back Dare Ogunbowale for his special teams work. If Ogunbowale doesn’t retain his captainship this year, special teams stalwarts like wide receiver Justin Watson or cornerback Ryan Smith may be in the running.

Don’t be surprised if the Bucs violate the loosely enforced rule and name seven captains this year with JPP, David and White all getting the C on their chest on defense.

• BACK-TO-BACK PEWTER NATION PODCAST FROM BUCS CAMP: Pewter Reporters Mark Cook, Taylor Jenkins and Matt Matera recorded a new Pewter Nation Podcast on Thursday after reporting and observing the first week of padded practices in Buccaneers training camp. Check out the latest Pewter Nation Podcast for all the insight.

Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 204: Bucs Bring The Hits With The Pads On

In our previous Pewter Nation Podcast, Cook, Matera, Jon Ledyard and I recorded an episode to chronicle the start of Bucs training camp. We discussed some of the comments Arians made about Tom Brady and the rookies, in addition to what happened during Thursday’s practice. Don’t miss this one!

Pewter Nation Podcast Episode 203: Happy Times At Bucs Training Camp

There is no better time to listen to a new Pewter Nation Podcast than right now or early Saturday morning during your workout or while running errands. The next Pewter Nation Podcast will be recorded next week. Stay tuned!

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