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About the Author: Bailey Adams
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There are a lot of reasons to love football. The action, the physicality, the athleticism and the strategy behind it are always good reasons. The inspiring stories that come out of the game are another. And one of those inspiring stories belongs to Bucs rookie Yaya Diaby.
That’s why Diaby was picked by Good Morning Football’s Peter Schrager as one of “10 guys to pull for” in preseason. Schrager talked about Diaby’s story, which took him from working at the airport to Georgia Military College to Louisville to being the Bucs’ third-round pick in the 2023 Draft.
"Just a few years back, he wasn't even in college and was working at the airport. 2 years at Georgia Military, 3 years at Louisville, & now he's a 3rd round rookie and one of the stars of @buccaneers training camp." @PSchrags on the incredible story of Bucs rookie DL YaYa Diaby pic.twitter.com/cFMQq3rCmg
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) August 8, 2023
Peter Schrager Recaps Yaya Diaby’s Path To The NFL And The Bucs
Bucs OLB YaYa Diaby – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
While listing 10 players to root for this preseason on Tuesday’s edition of Good Morning Football, Peter Schrager had Yaya Diaby at No. 4.
“I love his story,” Schrager said. “Yaya’s wearing number zero, but his story is one in a million. Let me explain. Guy went to high school down there in North Clayton High School in Atlanta and didn’t get any opportunities to go to college right away because of grades. He was ineligible, so he worked at the Hartsfield Atlanta Airport pushing wheelchairs. He was the guy that would guide you onto the flight if you needed assistance.
“He was that guy at 19 years old. Gets his grades up, goes to Georgia Military [College], plays there for two years. Transfers to Louisville in 2020, played a little bit, but it was the COVID year. Now we’re talking years and years and years. Excels at Louisville the last few years, goes to the Senior Bowl and absolutely dominates at the Senior Bowl.”
Diaby was certainly impressive in Mobile. He had a great week of practices, as his combination of size and speed – as well as his play against the run and pass – turned heads. He was listed as a standout in Pewter Report’s Day 2 Insider, but he was one of the big winners of the week in general. From there, it was on to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
“Then he crushes the Combine,” Schrager continued. “Guy goes to the Combine, puts up crazy numbers and runs a 40-yard dash that has everyone saying ‘Who is Yaya Diaby? Get him on our team. Runs this wild 40-yard dash where it’s sub-five (seconds)… 4.51.”
Bucs OLB YaYa Diaby – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Diaby’s 40-yard dash was the fourth-best among defensive linemen, while his 10-yard split ranked second at the position. His vertical was fourth-best in his position group, and his broad jump tied him for ninth. It was quite the performance from the Louisville product, and it continued to put him on the map.
“You look at those rankings, and you look at what he did in college,” Schrager said. “This was last year, his final season. Nine sacks, 14 tackles for a loss, meaning he’s living in the backfield for Louisville last year.”
After being listed as one of Pewter Report’s “Bucs Best Bets” ahead of the draft, Diaby was then selected by the Bucs in the third round, with the 82nd overall pick. And so far, Tampa Bay is thrilled with what it’s seeing.
“They are raving about him,” Schrager said. “One of those dudes, first year the NFL is allowing it, wearing number 0. He will not be hard to spot. He stands out, he’s a big fella wearing 0 on the defensive line. The number is like the littlest thing.
“Yaya Diaby, one of the coolest names, one of the coolest stories. Didn’t have the grades, went out and worked. Worked at the airport, was helping out pushing wheelchairs just five years ago, and now here we are and Yaya Diaby is gonna make an impact on one of the best defensive lines in football.”
Yaya Diaby Has Been A Bright Spot Throughout Bucs Training Camp
Bucs OLB YaYa Diaby – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Peter Schrager is right. The Bucs are raving about Yaya Diaby, and that’s because he’s been one of the standouts throughout the first two weeks of training camp. In the latest of edition of SR’s Fab 5, Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds named the rookie as one of his players who’s “hot” so far in camp.
“Just two weeks into camp and it’s clear that rookie edge rusher is easily the strongest and most powerful outside linebacker on the roster,” Reynolds wrote. “Wait until he figures out what to do as a pass rusher in terms of putting moves together. A case in point was one 1-on-1 pass rep against 345-pound left tackle Tristan Wirfs. Diaby bull-rushed him and surprisingly drove him back three steps before Wirfs could anchor and reset. Once Diaby learns to finish his rush with a club-rip or an inside chop-spin, he’ll be deadly. Diaby also made a diving interception off a tipped Baker Mayfield pass that showed off his agility and athleticism.”
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles, along with defensive line coach and run game coordinator Kacy Rodgers, have both spoken about Diaby’s progress at different points during camp. It’s clear that Bowles likes what he’s seeing so far from the team’s third-round pick.
“He’s strong, he’s tough, he loves to play the game, he’s very explosive off the ball, he has heavy hands,” Bowles said after the team’s Aug. 5 practice. “We always say we like guys with heavy hands that can handle any kind of block. He’s very versatile. He’s making his presence felt this camp in pads.”
Diaby recently spoke with the Tampa media about his drive and what it’s been like to go from zero offers out of high school to the NFL.
“It’s just the drive – I love this game, I love this game,” he said. “Every day, I come out here and have a smile on my face and want to get myself – not only myself, but my teammates – better. Whoever I face. It’s a drive for me.”
As for the next step of Diaby’s incredible journey, all roads point toward his preseason and NFL debut this Friday night. The Bucs will host the Steelers at Raymond James Stadium to open the exhibition schedule, and it’ll be Diaby’s first chance to actually hit an NFL quarterback. That’s something he’s looking forward to.
“It’s funny, my coach was just talking about it,” Diaby said. “He was like, ‘Don’t get in the game and you haven’t been tackling the quarterbacks in practice and just freeze up.’ Yeah, I can’t wait, I can’t wait until Friday to be able to actually hit the quarterback. I hope I hit them the right way so I don’t get flagged.”
