“We Practiced 10 Times Harder”
January 27th, 2019
More insight
Yes, hard-hitting former Buccaneer D.J. Swearinger is a big-talking, angry 2019 Pro Bowl-alternate safety.
He wasn’t good enough to play for Lovie Smith in Tampa, but he is one of the most outspoken Bucco Bruce Arians backers in the NFL.
First, get it out of your head that Swearinger will be a Buccaneer this season. After the Redskins cut him in late December, he was claimed by the Cardinals and is signed through 2019. It’s unlikely he gets traded here.
But since Jay Gruden and the Redskins launched him, Swearinger has been lashing out publicly — twice. Joe heard about last week’s social media blast in the Washington Post, where he referred to Arians as an “OG” as a way of illustrating that Gruden is soft.
“Y’all will never win big bro,” Swearinger wrote [to a Redskins fan]. “I’ve seen championship swagger from a coach [Bruce Arians] he a OG. That coach y’all have will never win big cause it ain it him to coach discipline. it ain in him to chew somebody out in practice cause they lacking. when u say I’m a cancer for wanting to practice harder or wanting to get coached harder just to win then winning prolly not for you or you don’t understand that hard work pays off. Mediocre work get you beat! …”
More interesting, Joe believes, is what Swearinger told 106.7 FM in Arizona about Arians and, indirectly, the Bucs.
“I’m not a Redskin anymore and like I said I’ve been on teams that went to the playoffs and (also teams) that went 3-13. I know the formula that Bruce Arians had, and it was a successful formula, we practiced 10 times harder than we did (here in Washington).
“It’s crazy, every time a player that comes here from another team they like, ‘man this is so laid back.’ Every (old teammate) I’ve had they ask me ‘dang bro why practice so laid back? We just chillin’ out here.’ I guess that’s just the formula that this team has. It would be a less of a man of me to stoop down to the mediocre, I’m not a mediocre guy I don’t like practicing mediocre, I don’t like preparing mediocre.”
Joe loves that “practiced 10 times harder” line. Swearinger played for Arians in 2015 and 2016 before he bolted in free agency.
But think deeper for a moment. If you believe Swearinger about Arians’ tough practices versus Jay Gruden’s soft approach (and Joe does to a point), then it’s awfully interesting that Bucs GM Jason Licht signed two free agents from Gruden’s team in 2017: disinterested Chris “Swaggy” Baker and diva receiver DeSean Jackson.
January 27th, 2019 at 9:21 am
Arians is gonna whip Donavan Smith’s fat lazy @ss into shape
January 27th, 2019 at 9:23 am
If that’s true and IF “Mr. ice cream man I’m so sorry I put you on the ground Ben here is my milk money please don’t slap me like the little beatch that I am” GMC is still on the team he is in for a RUDE awakening this training camp. I wouldn’t want to be the Buc intern that has to clean out the ship that will be in his pants after practice.
January 27th, 2019 at 9:29 am
Buc believer your such a fairweather fan
January 27th, 2019 at 9:30 am
We already knew that “Soft Camp” Koetter failed to light a fire under the team, but the evidence is mounting that Licht contributed to this by bringing in diva free agents. Before we bring in any more free agents, one variable that must be considered is the locker room where they came from. #PaidFloridaVacation
January 27th, 2019 at 9:31 am
Whats worst, that they did not practice that hard and did not succeed??? or the team that practice 10 times harder and ended up with the same record???????
The 2019 season will reveal answers to the sheep that the “real” fans already know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 27th, 2019 at 9:37 am
Why does LIcht still have a job ??.. He is in charge and has the worst record as bucs gm
January 27th, 2019 at 9:42 am
Hawaiian buc is going to be heartbroken when that soft garbage of a man he has been defending with excuses for years is run out of town like the tinker bell beotch she is…
All this fluf is meaningless until they prove they can compete consistently on Sunday’s which they have never done under the captaincy of cancer93.
Mike Tyson once eloquently stated Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth…. bucs are softer than figure skaters. Good luck bucco bruce you will most likely fail but let’s see whats in store for the glazer circus
January 27th, 2019 at 9:42 am
TOES ON THE LINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TOES ON THE LINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 27th, 2019 at 9:47 am
What a well-spoken young man that Swearinger be.
January 27th, 2019 at 9:50 am
Jose, I will NOT even try to defend myself when you say I’m fair weather I can only say and I have NO way to prove it but I have been a Buc fan since I moved here in 19&0 and a season ticket holder since 1986 so no I don’t think I’m a “fair weather fan” I just don’t like soft players nor do I like soft posters.
January 27th, 2019 at 9:54 am
One thing that hasn’t been mentioned in all the talk about Arians and why he is here.
He wants to win NOW! People in the NFL have one goal..the Super Bowl and that’s what people think will motivate Arians.
For sure!
But Arians is already on the cusp of an HOF career. If he put in 2-3 great years here…if he even reaches the Super Bowl…his HOF chances become real.
The Bucs are now Arians true legacy. The league’s last memory of Arians will be his Tampa legacy. Think he’s motivated?
January 27th, 2019 at 9:56 am
J.C. this guy went to college right?
January 27th, 2019 at 9:59 am
You guys are nuggets. Noone in here is a fairweather fan. If ya havnt noticed the weather hasnt been good for over a decade. Yet we’re all still here soaking up bucs.
January 27th, 2019 at 10:25 am
I think too many older coaches coddle today’s younger players. Is it because of a generation gap? Are today’s millennial players weak mentally? Just like Joe’s take on JW with Fitz looking over his shoulder. Are todays players changing how teams are coached? The new CBA rules have weakened teams abilities to work harder but have coaches gone soft or do they feel they have to coddle their players so they don’t protest and move to their “safe-spaces”.
January 27th, 2019 at 10:25 am
The pic of two turds in the Bucs punchbowl…so disappointing given their potential…especially D-Jax…Saggy Baker retired 3 years ago but stayed on NFL payrolls the last couple of seasons.
DJ Jazzy Swearinger may be worth a look at low wage given his connection with Bucco Bruce. Didn’t he yuck ( no pun intended ) it up after beating the impotent Bucs at the D.O.D.? Karma will get ya…
January 27th, 2019 at 10:46 am
I Swear inger ain’t lying!! We need players like him. I agree, Baker n DJax came from a laid back cultural to a take a nap n take time off at will cultural. DJax n Baker created cancer in the locker room which lead to a toxic relationship with others on the team. Can u imagine what would’ve happened if we had Ray Lewis the first time Swaggy Baker was slacking, or actions Chris Carter would’ve taken if he was in the team with DJax. McCoy is not a leader n too soft or passive to stand up to hold others accountable. DJax is a master manipulator n his strategy is to divide n conqueror as he get in the minds of some of our young gullible players. What he won’t do is manipulate n try to play BA. Let’s rid DJax n bring in hard working, never quit, Super Bowl winner, Golden Tate. “A change is gonna come”
January 27th, 2019 at 11:01 am
Different time & rules have changed the practices cant be any harder because the players union is soft. But hopefully arians does do like belichek & tony romo & that is do ALL the little things and details right all the time. Which is exactly what greg schiano wanted & expected with toes on the line. Winning is in the details in todays NFL from alignment to assignment
January 27th, 2019 at 11:17 am
Swearinger went to South Carolina and was coached by Steve Spurrier. Hmmmmm …
January 27th, 2019 at 11:22 am
Funny I remember seeing Swearinger at Bucs training camp and he was halfassing it most of the time
didn’t look like he wanted to be there
just saying
January 27th, 2019 at 11:28 am
But Arians is already on the cusp of an HOF career. If he put in 2-3 great years here…if he even reaches the Super Bowl…his HOF chances become real.
HOF was rendered a meaningless joke after the standards were lowered in the name of inclusion to enshrine dungy the clown and his career losing playoff record. What a conjob presented to voters. I’m sure ba could careless about hof.
January 27th, 2019 at 12:09 pm
tmaxcon Says:
‘… bucs are softer than figure skaters.”
Figure skaters have to be hard as nails, actually. Figure skaters and gymnasts only become world-class athletes if they grow up from the age of 4 or 5 years old living that lifestyle and training through pain and injury. You can teach someone to play a position in football in one or two years, and have them succeed on a good team. That would be impossible in figure skating and gymnastics. I have immense respect for those athletes.
January 27th, 2019 at 12:15 pm
JA Says:
January 27th, 2019 at 11:17 am
Swearinger went to South Carolina and was coached by Steve Spurrier. Hmmmmm …
THE ball coach!
I’ll never forget watching Tom Landry’s Cowboys. They oozed discipline. Anybody will remember how they came out of the offensive huddle, and the way the offensive line came set in unison–like a drill team. I always thought that was impressive.
January 27th, 2019 at 12:42 pm
Moronic to think this article relates even indirectly to McCoy…he has practiced and played as hard if not harder than anyone on this team. Save your bias and stop making things up. Go Bucs!
January 27th, 2019 at 1:00 pm
I think BA will bring in a lot of his own players just like he did with his coaches. I’m thinking big shake up.
January 27th, 2019 at 1:24 pm
You can’t really do anything about how another coach chooses to run his team and how they practice. That’s actually not even a consideration when choosing free agents. However soft practices were in Washington I’m sure weak arse Koetter ran his practices 10 x softer. You never heard a peep about Baker and d jack running all over Jay Gruden so if anything this is another indictment of Koetter that free agents came here and underachieved versus choosing bad free agents. Can’t judge want to and who knew Carl Nassib had more want to than Geraldine and Gholston and Spence and even d jack. Can’t judge heart all that easily when money is being thrown at you
January 27th, 2019 at 1:37 pm
this team needs toughness, ive been saying it for years. we crack under pressure, we let up when we are winning. no killer instinct. we do not punish teams for coming here. we dont try to win we try not to lose. this is the mindset of weak willed, soft ass millenials. you are entitled to nothing and will be given nothing. you perform your best regardless of rank or depth or position. this team needs to be gutted of these type of players. besides coaching and scheme this is the number one issue here. no heart, no guts and no passion to hate losing. you say you hate losing but your actions dont reflect it. arians will absolutely crack these guys either to stepping into line or being escorted out.
January 27th, 2019 at 2:23 pm
Buc believer Says:
“GMC is still on the team he is in for a RUDE awakening this training camp.”
You people just love making stuff up. McCoy is known for practicing hard, lol.
January 27th, 2019 at 3:01 pm
Bonzai… maybe I can grant you that but the results on the field sure don’t add up. Especially this year when he was supposed to flourish with JPPs help. Instead he had an even worse year.
January 27th, 2019 at 3:02 pm
It is obvious that there is a lot of hate for GMC by many of our beloved Bucs fans. Unfotheyhave been spoiled by the one and only “Mr. Waran Sapp, the original badass of the Bucs. Maybe they are just p.o’dby the money the Glazers are paying him vs. the production. The problem I have with most fans is GMC is in the league has been a top DT in the trenches, where most of these guys wouldn’t make thru a Bucs practice, let alone a game. It’s easy to criticize from afar, way afar, way afar from the comfort of your keyboard, that’s my rant
January 27th, 2019 at 6:29 pm
@Jean
“Are todays players changing how teams are coached?”
YES! Cyndi Lauper had the answer to all the questions you posed.
“Money Changes Everything”.
It’s not just the players either. Coaches all make millions and so Smitty was able to stroke it just like DJAX and Grimes.
They are ALL filthy rich. Even players like Hump and Brate UDFA’s are making millions…Hump made over two million and he’ll probably cash in this year.
If a player is not truly self motivated there is basically nothing a coach can really do other than trade or cut the money grubbers and there are a lot of them on every team.
January 27th, 2019 at 6:51 pm
Forget McCoy. Tampa2 is gone and so is he. Time to find a new face for the franchise. That business.
January 27th, 2019 at 6:59 pm
The dude was the face of our franchise and our defense for a decade and never in all our years was he a game-changing player. If me pointing this out makes me a hater then so be it.
It never bothered me that he made money or that he got all the interviews. I just patiently waited for a true ge-wrecker to join this team and take over……That has not never happened and I have to believe it’s due to the fact that we kept building up this Tampa 2 defense featuring McCoy.
Running a new style will open up more for others. We don’t need to spend huge money on a finesse 3-tech no more……..Tampa 2 done.
January 27th, 2019 at 10:05 pm
rrsrq Says:
“Mr. Waran Sapp, the original badass of the Bucs.”
No, no, no. Mr Leroy Selmon was “the original badass of the Bucs.” AND he was a genuinely nice person. One of the most civilized people to ever grace the Tampa Bay area, but he left his inner Gerald McCoy on the sideline while he played football.
January 27th, 2019 at 10:20 pm
stpetebucsfan Says:
Cyndi Lauper had the answer to all the questions you posed. “Money Changes Everything”.
If a player is not truly self motivated there is basically nothing a coach can really do…
1) Cyndi Lauper was right. It takes a very strong person with great self-awareness to handle realizing sudden wealth in a responsible manner.
Cyndi Lauper rocks. She was destined to be the next great female rock icon before Madonna came along.
2) I disagree wholeheartedly. I know because I readily admit that I often needed someone on my ass to get the last few ounces of effort out of me. Remember, Jameis himself has always said that he prefers to be “coached hard.” I’m sure motivation is a part of that equation.
You, apparently, are a consistently self-motivated person. You, Sir, are blessed. I’m jealous.
January 28th, 2019 at 12:16 am
I found an article from 1982 about Ray Perkins taking over in Alabama after Bryant retired and one of the assistants he kept around was Bruce Arians.
Wow, I never thought of that before, that there’s a Ray Perkins-Bruce Arians connection.
Get those 3-a-day’s scheduled, and none of that using the air conditioned tent sissy stuff either.
January 28th, 2019 at 1:20 am
Rod Munch Says:
“I found an article from 1982 about Ray Perkins taking over in Alabama after Bryant retired and one of the assistants he kept around was Bruce Arians.”
I got a wicked chill down my spine when I read that. Pretty wild. “3-a-days?” LOL. The union would have a cow. Haha