Sammie Stroughter Speaks
July 30th, 2012
In Joe’s eyes, fourth-year wide receiver Sammie Stroughter looks to be the lead returner in the Bucs’ stable of return men. Joe talked to Stroughter a bit about special teams, Dezmon Brizcoe and some guy named Sabby.
JoeBucsFan.com: It looks like you’re lining up as the No. 1 punt returner. Are you getting a feel that that’s your role?
Sammie Strougther: It ain’t no depth [chart]. You know, we’re just trying to get everyone opportunities. We’re trying to get ready to see different punters. We have a lot of good punters out here at camp. We want to get different feels as returners. So it’s no depth right now. It probably is, but I’m not looking at it like that. We’re just taking our opportunities as golden, and going after the punts with the proper procedure.
Joe: What do you enjoy more, punt return or kick return?
Stroughter: I’m very comfortable in both. But I just have to continue to get reps at it and continue to trust the different schemes. The coaching staff has a great way of preparing and putting guys in the right positions.
Joe: From an Xs and Os standpoint, how does the blocking on returns feel different this year?
Stroughter: Coach Ligs does a great job of scheming. He’s going to find the weaknesses of a team and the strengths of a team and we’re going to capitalize on that. The one thing about this coaching staff, they do a great job of preparing. Preparation is real big. And they make sure they do their homework also. You just have to continue to trust and do your best also. Make sure your when opportunity comes, you seize it.
Joe: How do you feel personally about Dezmon Briscoe getting cut?
Stroughter: It’s hard, but it’s also a business. It’s a reality check. It lets people know that it’s not guaranteed. Everybody is fighting for a job.
Joe: You came back from a serious injury late last season. How do you feel now?
Stroughter: I’m feeling good. I hold myself to a very high standard. So I just gotta continue to work and continue to grind. I have to make sure I’m preparing and not having silly MEs, mental errors, and different things like that. I have to make sure I know [the playbook], no second guessing, and just go out there and play football. Whatever happens I’ll put it all out there.
Joe: How’s your old friend and teammate Sabby Piscitelli? Do you stay in touch? What’s he up to these days?
Stroughter: Of course we’re in touch. Sabby’s my big brother. He’s working out really hard out there in Boca [Raton]. He’s working out just waiting for that phone call. I wish him nothing but the best. I have the utmost confidence in him, and when he gets back out there he’s going to ball out. I worked out with him a little this offseason. He’s in really good shape. He looks like he’s ready. He was my mentor to me when I got here. So I’m always going to look to him for advice, and vice versa.
July 30th, 2012 at 9:53 am
It’s crazy how so many players seem to throw the old coaching staff under the bus, Stroughter by saying “The one thing about this coaching staff, they do a great job of preparing. Preparation is real big.”
Seems like a swing at Rah and company. Honestly I hold more hope for this team because of the new staff than all the talent on the roster. Hopefully it’ll all come to fruition
July 30th, 2012 at 10:05 am
@Jrock: It could also be that a lot of them are making it easy on themselves by throwing the old coaching staff under the bus. None of this came out when Bucs won 10 games in 2010. Yes it was an easy schedule, but if preparation was such a big issue, they would have lost to almost every opponent like they did in 2011. The roster was just more committed to their work and hungrier to win in 2010, not so much in 2011. Raheem’s lax ways could be one reason, but the other reason certainly was the players taking everything for granted.
July 30th, 2012 at 10:05 am
Joe,
Stephen Holder reports that there were 4 waiver claims for Briscoe and Adam caplan says there was one team willing to offer a conditional 5th that could have become a 4th rd pick. Is this true? Did the FO miss this one? Your opinion, please!
http://www.bucsnation.com/2012/7/28/3198666/tampa-bay-buccaneers-missed-out-on-a-fifth-round-draft-pick-for
July 30th, 2012 at 10:10 am
Sammie, teach Miscitelli how to tackle and I’m sure he could find a job in the NFL. His problem was not being in the right position to make a play, his problem was that he missed numerous opportunities to stop the running back or receiver at first contact. Thus, he is having a hard time finding work as a professional football player. Good luck Sabby
July 30th, 2012 at 11:44 am
Joe,
Are you editing Wikipedia pages these days?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabby_Piscitelli
“Sabatino “The Goat” Piscitelli (born August 24, 1983)”
“Piscitelli is universally considered to be the absolute worst player in Buccaneers history. Watching him play made many fans want to go lie down in traffic.”
LMAO!
July 30th, 2012 at 1:54 pm
@jonny 3.3
“Yes it was an easy schedule, but if preparation was such a big issue, they would have lost to almost every opponent like they did in 2011.”
They almost did lose to every team. If it werent for quite a few late 4th qt comebacks our record would of been well under .500. That is a fact. Here is another one…. in the 3 years Rah was here they never scored a TD in the first Qt. until I believe late last year. They were constantly behind… fact is they were under prepared and unmotivated through Rah’s entire tenure here. Im not gonna put ALL the blame on Rah and the staff but they disserve most of the blame.. They were horrid.
July 30th, 2012 at 2:53 pm
@SilenceTheCritics: I have no problems with blaming Rah, I just have a problem when some of us fans do not hold our players accountable for the level of fail they displayed last season. Not saying any of the posters in this comments section are that kind, but some regulars of this site and utter homers are.
Also, yes, the Bucs offense and defense were sloppy in 2010, but they never were completely dysfunctional like in 2011. You could see that whether things worked or not, they resolute and wanted to win. Usually by 2nd half the players would get a hold of things and start playing sharper. Now consider the way Bucs lost to some bad teams like Panthers, Jaguars and Titans in 2011, it wasn’t just execution that was bad, but the morale, will to win etc were lacking. Stroughter may not have meant it, but if any player intends to throw Rah under the bus, he needs to take a serious look at his face in the mirror before he conveniently pushes the blame on Rah & co.
July 30th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
@Macabee
1) No legitimate GM would tell a reporter what he would have offered for a player.
2) A 4th round or 5th round talent gets claimed by a ton of teams.
3) Only 4 teams claimed him on the waiver wires:
Bengals: The team that had him originally on a PS.
Redskins: Where his former coach is and the former Tampa GM
Cowboys: Jones just wants to be on Basketball Wives
Eagles: What’s one more addition to the trainwreck “Dynasty”
4) Maybe the NFC East teams just wanted someone already familiar with the NFC South teams they’ll be facing.
@Jonny The 2010 team had Rich Bisaccia as ST coordinator and Assistant Head Coach. He couldn’t wait to leave the disaster that was Raheem Morris – probably because he was doing far more than normal to cover the deficiencies of his boss.
And those 10 games in 2010 were often very fluky. Saints pulling starters with the game on the line, Backup or injured QBs in game after game, a botched extra point snap to tie the game to go into OT, and a ton of turnovers that went Tampa’s way.
July 30th, 2012 at 6:26 pm
I have no problem admitting to that. There was not a single person in our organization that stepped up last year except maybe Clayborn.. everybody else was straight garbage. I dont happen to believe that Dom should be faulted for the season as that is on the coaching staff and players myself but just for the sake of argument ill throw him under the bus to…
July 31st, 2012 at 12:47 am
Joe: How do you feel personally about Dezmon Briscoe getting cut?
Stroughter: It’s hard, but it’s also a business. It’s a reality check.
There you go.