“I Can’t Describe The Closeness”
November 28th, 2016
Back and ballin’
Joe goes 1-on-1 with Bucs starting left guard Kevin Pamphile, who missed two games due to a concussion but returned Sunday against the Seahawks.
Pamphile was stout against the nasty Seattle defense. Joe didn’t see signs of rust, and you rarely heard Pamphile’s name, which is a great thing for a guard.
Here’s Joe’s chat with Pamphile after the thrilling victory.
JoeBucsFan.com: How did it feel to be back out there?
Starting left guard Kevin Pamphile: Man, I missed it. Two weeks off, I know I needed to recover, but I missed it, being out there on the field with my brothers, fighting and playing with them. It was amazing going out there and getting a victory against an amazing defense. The emotions, you can’t describe it right now, just overjoyed.
Joe: Do you feel like getting your legs two weeks off in the middle of the season revitalized you significantly?
Pamphile: I mean, (laughs) the whole time the guys were joking with me. ‘Oh, he got fresh legs. He got fresh legs.’ And yeah, I did feel kinda good on game day. More important, I came back with energy to boost everybody up and help out in the run game as much as possible.
Joe: Was your concussion the type of thing where you experienced the same kind of thing in college and still played, but with the NFL’s concussion protocol you had to wait the two weeks to recover?
Pamphile: No, I had never really experienced a concussion. That was like my first time ever. So it’s a scary thing. I took my time getting back and the training staff helped me along the way, and I definitely came back ready to go today.
Joe: How would you describe the mentality of this team right now?
Pamphile: It’s my third year and I can’t describe the closeness we have right now. I mean, everybody’s fighting for each other. Honestly. I’m fighting for the guys next to me. Guys, you know, on D-line, on defense, it’s the same thing. It’s an emotional thing. It’s crazy.
Pamphile’s return is huge. Remember, at the bye week, Dirk Koetter announced it was Pamphile who had graded No. 1 among Bucs’ offensive linemen.
November 28th, 2016 at 11:14 am
Just goes to show you how crucial drafting is…..dont go out and overpay on free agents ala the best teams in the league…cut and trade players on the downside of their career while they still have value and get more dfraft picks in return.
November 28th, 2016 at 11:38 am
^^^^ Amen Brother. No matter how we finish the season. We need to continue to upgrade the talent on this team.
November 28th, 2016 at 11:45 am
Starting to come together pepper!!
November 28th, 2016 at 12:14 pm
Yes draft WR , safety , TE , DE this year and will we be beastily
November 28th, 2016 at 12:29 pm
But according to 813bucboi Dirk Koetter lost the locker room weeks ago lol
November 28th, 2016 at 12:35 pm
The Bucs need an experienced WR2 on the other side to complement Evans. Somebody with speed to stretch the defense so Mike can work the short and intermediate routes. Free Agency is probably the best bet there, although Jason Licht’s free agent signings have been very questionable. They’re better than ok at TE, Safety is looking a whole lot better, and teams can never have enough quality DEs.
November 28th, 2016 at 12:54 pm
This kid came in playing well last year idk why they didn’t give him a chance in the off-season instead of paying the LG out of Seattle we need to continue to develop our draft picks instead of just giving up on them so easily he’s earned a starting role
November 28th, 2016 at 1:25 pm
I haven’t heard the type of locker room “closeness” that these guys speak about in quite some time. It’s common to hear teammates talking about how they are brothers etc. but this on a whole nutha level. This team gets it. Regardless of what happens in these next 5 games, it is very evident that if this team continue this same philosophy they will be competing for big things.
Pamphile has been playing lights out all year and he was excellent yesterday. In fact, this O Line has been stellar. They are really gelling and they are back to being a huge strength for us. I love watching Hawley and Marpet getting nasty out there. Let’s also not forget about D Smith. Many people felt he couldn’t handle left tackle but he’s done a very solid job.
November 28th, 2016 at 3:19 pm
Fighting for the guys on your team sounds a bit like Navy Seals.
November 28th, 2016 at 3:45 pm
@cmurda,
My thoughts exactly. This team has a closeness unlike most NFL teams. That can be attributed in great part to #3. Anybody else still upset we drafted him? Anyone not sold?