“Edge, Demeanor & Accountability”
January 31st, 2019
Once upon a time, the Bucs had a four-time Pro Bowler at quarterback and was dumped after back-to-back winning seasons.
Tampa, as suffering Bucs fans know, isn’t your typical football town.
Of course, Joe is talking about Jeff Garcia, the last QB to lead the Buccaneers to the playoffs. He was a proud and intense Buccaneer, playing with a lot of heart while his wife Carmella, a former Playboy Playmate and Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, was an inspiration.
The Bucs waved goodbye to 38-year-old Garcia after the 2008 season, part of the team’s huge veteran purge that included their Super Bowl head coach and a future Hall of Fame linebacker.
Garcia, who coached for the Rams in 2015, was talking Bucs yesterday on WDAE-AM 620. He thinks new head coach Bucco Bruce Arians can transform the Bucs from a soft team to a physical bunch.
“I like Bruce; I thought he did a tremendous job in Arizona when he was there,” Garcia said. “I think he can be a great addition from a physicality standpoint. I think one of the things that obviously was missing this past season [from the Bucs] was the defensive side of the ball. Tampa Bay really struggled to stop anybody. … I think Bruce Arians will bring an edge to him, a certain demeanor, a certain accountability that hopefully will filter out throughout that locker room and really raise the level of play.”
No surprise Garcia viewed the Bucs as soft. They were.
Overall, Garcia seemed to have a good handle on the Bucs, versus a lot of national analysts who don’t. He was adamant that Jameis Winston has to want to get better and really mean it in every aspect of his football and personal life every day. Garcia said he wants to see Jameis raise the standards of those around him.
On Bryon Leftwich, Garcia said he showed early promise as an offensive playcaller last year in Arizona. And Garcia said it is critical to have a quarterback coach who actually played in the NFL. He said the QB coaches who have learned it through study will just never be able to match the understanding of an ex-QB. So Garcia likes Leftwich for Jameis, and likes the Leftwich completely understands what Arians wants.
Also, Garcia couldn’t resist a little shot at the organization that let him go when he was sure he could still win games. He said the Bucs might have made the playoffs again if they held on to him another couple of years.
January 31st, 2019 at 12:09 am
Garcia whom are you kidding!!! So funny!
January 31st, 2019 at 12:25 am
Wasn’t he a little sweet?
January 31st, 2019 at 1:17 am
Nice BEARD Garcia
January 31st, 2019 at 1:53 am
Lol as Ian Beckles says:
“He has s little sugar in his britches’
But no! Lol I seriously doubt that Camella is a front.
I’m sure Garcia is hitting that route every time it’s open
January 31st, 2019 at 2:30 am
“…a proud and intense Buccaneer, playing with a lot of heart ….while his wife Carmella…was an inspiration.”
So in ten years we went from those two to Brent “You’re asking me to cover who?” and Miko “My over the hill husband will only play for these teams” Grimes.
Seems like a good representation of how far this team has fallen.
January 31st, 2019 at 3:07 am
“If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck and speaks like a …
You cant fake Kobe Faker”
Kobe Faker
January 31st, 2019 at 3:14 am
LOL
Dumping Super Bowl-winning quarterback Brad Johnson was worse than this.
Go Bucs!
January 31st, 2019 at 3:41 am
Thanks for reminding us Joe about the Bucs “huge veteran purge” following the 2008 season (aka ‘The Glazers Show Off Their Football Savvy’). Of course that was followed by the Lovie-led ‘Great Purge After the 2013 Season’. Now to be followed by the BA-led ‘Great Purge After the 2018 Season’. Kudos to the Glazers for their consistency … their purges occur like clockwork every 5 years apparently. Surely the third purge is a charm.
January 31st, 2019 at 5:26 am
The Purge of 2008 makes me want to purge. So does the thought that Tampa nearly picked up Favre ( who alongside Gruden would have been interesting at the very least ) causing Garcia to pout and declare “dead man/dandy walking”. Can Bucco Bruce reverse the decade + of debauchery? I truly think he can…and will.
#BuccoBruceIsLoose
January 31st, 2019 at 5:44 am
Keyboard warriors taking shots? Hmmmmm, envy much?! Jeff is probably so distraught over what you think of him!
Hi Carmella!
Anyway, Jeff was a fierce competitor. I wish we would have acquired him sooner than we did.
January 31st, 2019 at 6:56 am
I just wish Garcia could hit a pass past 18 yards, he had very little left in his 37-38 year old arm. Have we have forgotten 3rd down and another pass in the dirt?
January 31st, 2019 at 7:38 am
Absolutely love Garcia and the toughness he brought. He might have won that playoff game versus the Giants if he wasn’t throwing to Hands of Stone Clayton.
January 31st, 2019 at 8:08 am
Man I loved having Garcia here. Total drive to win and we always felt like the guy was going to get it done, but I really did forget how ugly he was.
January 31st, 2019 at 8:16 am
Pugs, we may have won that game had Gru not abandoned the run. I specifically remember E. Graham’s first quarter runs were significant (something like; 5 yards, 7 yards, 4 yards, 4 yards, 9 yards etc…). I think he carried the ball about 8-9 times before he was held to less than 4 yards then, inexplicably Gruden gets pass crazy! That was when Gru confirmed my suspicions that he was a better OC ONLY and was an obstacle to wins. I somewhat naïvely believed that he was replaceable and should have been fired then, not a year later. Oops! Gru has clearly shown to be the best coach here in 18 years!
January 31st, 2019 at 8:30 am
BucsFan/Garcia FanBoy:
Keyboard warriors taking shots? Hmmmmm, envy much?! Jeff is probably so distraught over what you think of him!
Hi Carmella!
Anyway, Jeff was a fierce competitor. I wish we would have acquired him sooner than we did.
There a few players more unfierce than Garcia. Had a very good if not overacheiving career and outkicked his coverage with his spouse…I’ll give him that.
January 31st, 2019 at 8:38 am
C’mon tmaxcon, are you kidding me? Let’s see, written at 1:17 AM….how many beers did you consume prior to writing that? LOL!
January 31st, 2019 at 9:00 am
theirs that word again…..accountability……
the only thing that will be “purged” are the players we figure to be cut(djax,gholston etc) and dirk’s soft mentality that drained the locker room…..
#REALISTKNOWSNOTHING!!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!!
January 31st, 2019 at 9:37 am
Lipnicki- The fact that you mention “overachieving” and “very good” belies your point.
Maybe our definitions of “fierce competitor” differ.
“Fanboy”?! OK. Yeah, I was a fan when he played for us. Dude put it all on the field. Go check out his career stats and achievements and be sure to look at his CFL career too. Yep, I was a fan.
Decent football career, money in the bank, and a beautiful wife.
Can you say that?
Maybe Jeff’s not the one who “outkicked his coverage”, eh?!
January 31st, 2019 at 9:37 am
D-Rome
No beers its health food Thursday just Jameson
January 31st, 2019 at 10:02 am
Jameson is a “health food”?!!! I’m saved!
January 31st, 2019 at 1:46 pm
Make all the comments you like about Garcia. But his wife is one hot M………
Thy’ve had kids together. Dream on guys.
January 31st, 2019 at 2:15 pm
BusFanBoy:
Touchè!
My football career: stopped at high school
Money: enough
Wife: N/A
Just didn’t slobber over Garcia like you did/do. Loved Brad Johnson before him…no lisp, was clutch during the Super Bowl Run and maybe even “fierce”.
January 31st, 2019 at 2:44 pm
Lipnicki- LOL! N/A on the wife?!!! Probably better off!
You’re right, that lisp was annoying!
The only “slobbering” though, was over his wife!
Brad Johnson won us the Lombardi, so there’s no comparison. Brad>Jeff.
January 31st, 2019 at 4:32 pm
So, to be clear Joe, commenters can suggest Jeff Garcia is gay. That’s fair game, not an issue. Got it
January 31st, 2019 at 4:47 pm
Best q.b. the Bucs ever had, and i’m not joking.
January 31st, 2019 at 6:37 pm
Full truth, didn’t read a word of this article.
Just here to profess my (respectful) obsession with Carmella Garcia
January 31st, 2019 at 8:05 pm
Garcia never gave less than his all while wearing a Bucs jersey.
February 2nd, 2019 at 5:19 am
Garcia gave it his all 100% of the time. He wasn’t a great QB but the guy had more heart than 97% of the roster that’s been here since he was let go.
And his wife…. yessir!