Development, Mental Health Seminars And Bucs Rookie Chris Wilcox
July 4th, 2021
Bucs rookie cornerback Chris Wilcox
What a beautiful Fourth Of July it is at JoeBucsFan.com world headquarters.
The fridge is stocked with Bromosa and other Big Storm beers, and Joe’s catching up on game film and interviews.
One is an off-the-radar sitdown with Bucs rookie seventh-round pick Chris Wilcox on NSPN NEXGEN Sports. (Yes, that’s spelled correctly.) Wilcox, a cornerback out of Brigham Young University, was taken as a project on defense and for his special teams ability.
Will he make the team? Joe has no clue. But Wilcox sort of came to the Bucs the way he arrived at BYU.
In a Deseret News interview, BYU cornerbacks coach Jernaro Gilford talked about how hard it is to get top cornerback recruits to the school, so they often seek guys with elite athleticism and measurables and hope they can be coached up within a couple of years. Gilford specifically put Wilcox in that discussion.
Wilcox talked about his Bucs adjustment in the NSPN interview. He named Sean Murphy-Bunting as someone who reached out to him quickly and strongly to offer whatever help he could provide through the rookie process. He also added that Murphy-Bunting and his position coach, Kevin Ross, are always there for him, and he called the defensive backs a great group of guys that he feels comfortable leaning on.
Veterans arriving at spring practices were an eye-opener, Wilcox said, noting how much he soaked in from them that he never knew previously.
Life in the NFL can be overwhelming for rookies, Wilcox said, and the Bucs take steps to keep that from happening.
“I could definitely see how all this stuff could just mess with you mentally, and that’s why I know the team offers little seminars where you can go for mental health,” Wilcox said, adding that he’s been been participating since he arrived in Tampa.
“All this stuff could definitely take a toll on your mental health. I feel like people need to realize that. I feel like a majority of fans do.”
As for the guy he potentially could replace, departed special teams ace/bad corner Ryan Smith, Joe found it a little funny that Wilcox didn’t know who No. 29 was last season, the number Wilcox wears with the Bucs.
“I always see him on film,” Wilcox said of Smith. But he didn’t know his name and didn’t pretend to.
July 4th, 2021 at 4:22 pm
I’m giving away free emotional support Chimpanzee’s at the Mental Health Seminar
July 4th, 2021 at 4:31 pm
Remember when Joe only drank fizzy water and called beer like Big Storm produces sissyfied?
Ah well, see you again in a few years, maybe!
July 4th, 2021 at 4:47 pm
Despite Uneducated Pete over there, mental health awareness really has come a long way. There’s no shame in seeking guidance and assistance when dealing with issues. Glad the team has a program in place to get them started off on the right foot as young Bucs.
July 4th, 2021 at 4:57 pm
Pete’s not reall!! GO BUCS!!!
July 4th, 2021 at 7:34 pm
Ryan Smith gunner with better backup ability would be sweet.
July 4th, 2021 at 8:03 pm
more than 30,000 active duty military personnel and veterans have died by suicide since September 11, 2001, which is more than four times as many as have died in combat. Make fun of mental health buddy it’s a good look. Impresses the rest of us a ton. Or take a look at what Christian mccaffery is doing with his charity and see what quality human beings can do. Do more for this country than you have thus far.
July 4th, 2021 at 10:05 pm
Those who make fun of mental health issues are probably the ones who need the most help.
July 4th, 2021 at 11:05 pm
I read in Psychology Today that emotional support Chimpanzees don’t work very well. In most cases, they actually encourage you to go bananas.
July 4th, 2021 at 11:55 pm
always appreciate Joe’s personal touch to his stories, Bromosa in the fridge, kicking back, happy, reviewing Bucs memorabilia. Get that no where else. Happy 4th Joesx2 and Ira!
July 5th, 2021 at 9:15 am
Chris Wilcox has a high ceiling and could one day be a starter for the Bucs. At 6-foot-2 he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.31. His measurements mirrors Jamal Dean.
July 5th, 2021 at 11:49 am
Those bromosa’s are 7.0 % alcohol, and might i add very refreshing too!
July 5th, 2021 at 2:34 pm
Better to prevent mental health issues from getting worse, than to suffer the consequences of someone taking his own or someone else’s life. The struggle is real.
July 6th, 2021 at 12:59 pm
Too bad the Bucs didnt have that program, when Aaron Sears was drafted.
What a tragedy that turned out to be. A mental health program might have made a difference