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.

White is assured of making the team, but he doesn’t just want to be a backup. He has his sights set on being the Bucs’ starting running back. Tampa Bay signed Leonard Fournette to a three-year, $21-million contract, so that might not happen during his rookie season. But White could move past Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Giovani Bernard on the depth chart and claim the RB2 spot this year with a great camp and preseason. White is an elusive runner with great hands and will prove to be a weapon on all three downs for the Bucs in 2022.

Let’s Get The Pads On!

By Rachaad White as told to Scott Reynolds

The first week of camp is done. I don’t know what I was expecting, honestly. I was just trying to come out here and just get better each day, and tell myself, “Take one day at a time, take one step at a time.” Just do everything my coaches, you know, teach me and coach me up to do. I have been pretty alright with it. I wouldn’t say I’m pleased with my first week. But I’ve been alright, trying to take improvements. I feel like I’ve been kind of taking steps towards that and the little things I need to work on.

My roommate in camp is Ke’shawn Vaughn. He’s very chill. We both like keep our side of the room clean and both kind of do our own thing, but we talk and chop it up every now and then. It helps me having another running back as a roommate, especially a guy that’s going on his third year here. It’s definitely good to talk to a guy like that. Kind of, “I was in your shoes and made some mistakes that you make, and here’s how to go about it.” Stuff like that.

Next Man Up

We suffered a big loss this week with our center, Ryan Jensen going down. Everybody just felt for Ryan because we know what he stands for. We know what he brings to the table and just the type of human being he is. You know, you never want to see that happen to a guy like that, who has been in the league a long time. To see a guy that’s been as healthy as him – it just really hurts and sucks to see him go down. Everybody wants to play fast and play hard, and you know everybody is trying to get a roster spot. Nobody is like intentionally trying to hurt another person. So it’s always tough, especially with an injury like that.

It’s time for the next man up. That’s how it’s got to be. That’s football. Our backups, we have to be as strong as the starters and be able to easily fill in because you never know what can happen with football.

I’ve got some snaps at running back of course, but I’ve also lined up outside [as a receiver] in camp. That part of the game excites me, and you know it’s going to take time to do that. I did that at ASU (Arizona State), but not a lot like how it is in this offense. It’s just going through a lot of growing pains early on. I mean everything – every play – is a learning play, regardless if everybody thought it was perfect. It’s something you can learn and grow from it.

Let’s Get The Pads On, Bucs!

Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

I’m excited for Monday and for the pads to come on. That’s just how it is, everybody has been waiting for this for a minute. Everybody has been waiting to be back here, play football, let’s get the pads on, give it a thud, hear the pads and be able to just show your skills. You know, they say football doesn’t really start until the pads come on. So you can’t judge anybody off of what we do without pads on. It’s going to be a great day, and it’s going to be fun out here. I know everybody is going to be ready.

The highlight of camp so far for me is being in the meeting room. Just seeing the vets and elders, and how they go about things and how they treat us – the rookies. They can relate to us, they were in our shoes before. So that’s really been the highlight for me, seeing the veterans going out there, talking to me and just coaching me up. “Do you, be you … just play ball and trust yourself.” Stuff like that.

Bucs’ Screen Test

I really like our screen game. On Friday, Shaq Mason was really moving downfield on a screen play to Gio [Bernard]. Gio was really running and Shaq was right there with him 30 yards down the field. You get those big guys out in space against linebackers and DBs and things like that. It’s a nightmare for those guys on the back end. And it’s going to be great, a big part of the offense. It’s a learning curve for me. I was just taking mental reps on how to run it. One time we got a blitz – a boundary blitz – and Gio set the safety up that was blitzing and then ran a screen off of him. It’s little things that you see from the veterans that you can learn from and take notes on. That was just great to see.

I’m not frustrated with my reps in practice. You know that’s just kind of the way it goes. I’ve just got to just trust the process and take advantage of every opportunity. That’s what I have been trying to focus on. Everybody wants more reps, but you’ve got to earn it. Nothing is given, you got to earn everything.

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