Last Chance U
March 31st, 2021
Playoff Lenny explains.
Any football fan with a Netflix account has very likely seen “Last Chance U.”
The series originally documented a football team, sort of Hard Knocks-style, throughout a season. It chronicled East Mississippi Junior College that had a knack for picking up very highly talented players from big-time programs, guys who washed out either for grades or they couldn’t break through to play as much as they liked, or they were knuckleheads.
In short, it was these players’ final shot at turning around their careers or lives, or they could kiss whatever NFL dream they had goodbye for good.
(One player featured in the series one season is on the Bucs’ roster, John Franklin, a former Florida State and Auburn quarterback and later a Florida Atlantic wideout.)
Given that background, when furniture-tossing, bicycle-throwing receiver Antonio Brown came to the Bucs midway through the season, he bonded with Playoff Lenny for this very reason. When the two would chat, they joked the Bucs represented their Last Chance U.
“It felt like this ship is like Last Chance U,” Playoff Lenny admitted in a Zoom press conference today. “We can’t mess up. [Brown] said,’ You have to look at it like that.’ God doesn’t give too many chances. We have to make the best [chance] out of this.
“Those conversations carried me a long way throughout the season. We talked every day about it. That mainly helped me out throughout the season, even in practice and onto the games.”
Playoff Lenny said the experience backing up Ronald Jones and later becoming the Bucs’ go-to back as the team rumbled to the Super Bowl “humbled” him.
And Playoff Lenny, despite being one of the more dominant college running backs in recent memory and a top-five pick by the Jags, said he felt the Bucs may have been his last chance since the Jags released him last summer.
“You have to understand, for me being cut, for [Brown] being cut… I think [the struggle comes from] the emotional side of it,” Playoff Lenny said. “You have been great your whole life and all of a sudden — stop! Pause for a minute. … That’s a big transition.
“It could have messed me up bad, you know? But it didn’t. I didn’t let it.”
Playoff Lenny said Brown helped him get over the blues. It’s why the two developed a tight bond. Both were potentially facing an end to their careers. Playoff Lenny also admitted a reason he returned to Tampa Bay for this season, despite being offered more cash elsewhere, was the camaraderie of his Bucs teammates.
The way Playoff Lenny spoke about his teammates, specifically Brown, it seemed to Joe the Bucs were sort of Tampa Bay’s version of Brittany Wagner.
Playoff Lenny admitted he isn’t sure what Brown will do about his football future. He hopes Brown chooses to return to the Bucs.
March 31st, 2021 at 11:55 am
He hopes AB chooses to return. So do I. It isn’t all about money. Unless the gap is extreme. I hope AB sees that. Teammates. Chemistry. AB is an exceptional talent – that Brady will often target. A fun season ahead.
March 31st, 2021 at 12:04 pm
There is no much room for this big ego’s like Lenny and AB to slow down when TB12 and BA are around……My only concern is AB justice situation…..
March 31st, 2021 at 12:30 pm
Wow, if that isn’t candid then I don’t know what is
March 31st, 2021 at 12:36 pm
Brady and Bucs are coming to play in 2021. Vegas had every team other than WFT to beat us in the playoffs. Second to the Chiefs??? This teams gonna be hungry. THATS WHAT WE CALL A SACK LUNCH!!!
March 31st, 2021 at 3:43 pm
For Realz @ BA4President. I imagine he will be working extra hard this year to get another contract, and not just a 1 year. Good position for him and Bucs.
With 17 game season, him and Rojo and most likely another are going to have more than enough touches to show out.
I hated Fournette in Jax, he was a punk. But oddly enough, it seems he has grown up quite a bit being around the Bucs and strangely Antonio Brown.
March 31st, 2021 at 3:51 pm
Since the signing of Brady, the Bucs are starting to seem like the Raiders of old. Vets rest during the week as long as they perform on Sundays. I remember a sports talk host once referring to the Raiders as, “the land of misfit toys.” Guys who don’t fit in with other teams’ way of doing things can fit in with the Bucs because they show up on game day.
March 31st, 2021 at 3:59 pm
AB has but a year or two left, I’m sure he’d like it/them to be here, but he’s gotta be more concerned that his ability to earn money is coming to and end (FAIRLY safe to say he has no endorsements) and the Bucs probably aren’t offering much
March 31st, 2021 at 4:02 pm
Lenny is a little self-obsessed and grandiose. Was he great at Jacksonville? They cut him for a reason and I don’t think that was the reason.
March 31st, 2021 at 4:06 pm
The beauty of having a leader like Brady and winning… You can give someone like Lenny and AB another shot, although it wasn’t much of a stretch with Lenny. In the past they didn’t have enough strong leaders on the team to bring in a head case. No offense AB. 😂
Now they have Brady, and Evans that the other receivers look up to, and LVD, Suh and JPP, and even White and Winfield as young as they are.
March 31st, 2021 at 4:07 pm
AB doesn’t have many years left in the NFL. It’s absolutely all about the money and it should be! Need to look ahead and take care of your family, bro.
April 1st, 2021 at 8:10 am
I actually think it’s cool that they (Lenny and AB) approached this last season and their opportunity with the Bucs that way. They seemed to do that in New England as well. I always thought it was Belichick doing that. Now with this, I’m thinking it’s Brady’s doing.