“He’s One Of The Toughest Smaller Guys I’ve Seen Since I’ve Been In The League”
January 9th, 2025
Big-time praise from coach.
When Bucs coach Todd Bowles broke into the league as a safety in 1986, the NFL was far different than today.
While the NFL wasn’t quite the back alley brawl it was in the 1970s, when dudes were legally getting clotheslined and spearing knees five yards out of bounds was considered hard-nosed legal football, the NFL in Bowles’ era was anything but the don’t-hit-too-hard league it became under the boot of NFL warden Roger Goodell.
So when Bowles, the Bucs’ head coach, raved about his star rookie running back Bucky Irving yesterday, he made a comment about Irving that really grabbed Joe’s attention.
“He’s a complete football player,” Bowles said of Bucky. “He’s one of the toughest smaller guys I’ve seen since I’ve been in the league.”
Now that is a compliment.
Remember, when Bowles came into the league, Lawrence Taylor and Ronnie Lott were still patrolling fields at the height of their unmatched careers. They didn’t come much tougher than those two.
So consider what Bowles’ frame of reference is when he refers to someone as “tough.” Yeah, Bowles qualified his praise of Bucky as a “smaller guy,” but still, tough in Bowles’ era is a whole lot different than tough for 40 years later.
How tough is Irving? Against the slimy Saints he took vicious hits. The way the slimy Saints played last Sunday, it looked like they were trying to take guys out.
But Bucky had his second-most snaps (48) in a game against the slimy Saints. His busiest game, 49 snaps, also came against the slimy Saints back in October.
The way Bowles spoke of Bucky it sounds like Bowles thinks he has been a godsend.
“[Whether] making guys miss or shoving guys off or spinning out of things or doing whatever he does to make extra yards has been great for us,” Bowles said. “And he takes care of the football while he’s at it. That’s special.”
Ah, spoken like a true blue defensive guy. 🙂
But Bowles is right, Bucky has been the sparkplug the team has been seeking since Father Time caught Playoff Lenny from behind.
The old saying is that running the ball in the playoffs is a winning formula. Well, if that’s the case, and the way the Commandos can’t defend the run, then Bucky ought to run the Bucs to the divisional round next week.
January 9th, 2025 at 9:06 am
Dudes incredibly technically sound, gliding from block to block, skirting around defenders, breaking every tackle. It’s actually super cool to watch
January 9th, 2025 at 9:10 am
You hit on it Joe, New Orleans hates the Bucs, and was playing for their city after that tragedy, that team played its guts out with “nothing” to play for, trust me I hate to give the saints credit but it is due. BUCKY is the Truth!
January 9th, 2025 at 9:24 am
no Karl the truth Williams is the truth
January 9th, 2025 at 9:28 am
Extremely tough runner for his size and somehow that long term toe issue magically disappeared. He should be even better when he can take an offseason to work on his physical strength
January 9th, 2025 at 9:32 am
The team that Licht and his staff has built is awesome. If you can’t get behind this team and support them why even watch sports. They have grit, they’re humble, tough and they win.
Evans said it best when asked about Bakers mis-throw to him. No player or team is perfect, all we can ask for as fans is they compete week in and week out and that what this team has done over the last 5 years. I’m confident this team will be ready to fight Sunday night. Bucs 34 Skins 24
Go Bucs!
January 9th, 2025 at 9:38 am
BUCKY BUCKY BUCKY!!!!!!
January 9th, 2025 at 9:55 am
I can’t blame Goodell for the safety stuff. The NFL’s settlement for $1B in 2015 would make any business change the way they do things. The choices were to adjust the game or continue with settlements until the NFL is no longer a viable business.
Businesses have to adjust to stay profitable… McDonald’s adjusted their kids menu after Supersize Me, Sea World no longer has trainers riding two dolphins like water skis, Papa John’s removed its toxic founder from branding.
Wherever your ethics fall in these situations is not the argument. Stakeholders simply need a company whose profits are trending up, not down.
January 9th, 2025 at 10:21 am
When Bucky breaks through the line and hits his burst, making guys miss left and right, it just makes me want to put on my Warrick Dunn jersey again. Bucky is the best!
January 9th, 2025 at 10:22 am
Imagine if we put any effort into building this secondary up and just getting a lb besides Lavonte who can walk and breather at the same time, we’d be soaring atop the league In dominating fashion. For the Love of the football gods, can we get a secondary this offseason?? Go Bucs!
January 9th, 2025 at 10:29 am
Isn’t Tucker a little (NFL-wise) guy, too? It would make sense as their center of gravity is lower. It looks like Coen has a developing 3-headed RB monster on. his hands. He’s nuts and stupid if he leaves Tampa with the way this O is jelling. Now, if everyone can just stay somewhat healthy. Go Bucs!!
January 9th, 2025 at 10:30 am
Our Bucs are so incredibly lucky to have a stable of backs like Bucky, Rashaad, and Tuck !! Bucky has definitely earned his leadership role this year and is so fun to watch when he breaks those exciting long runs !! But .. we have White and Tucker who can both break free for long chunks of yardage as well.
The three headed monster is just one part of the Bucs incredibly explosive offense!!!
The more I think about it the more I realize that if we beat the Commanders this Sunday ….. we may very well be Super Bowl Bound !!
Go Bucs !! Beat the Commanders again!!
January 9th, 2025 at 10:53 am
It really annoys me when Hypocrites like Joe bemoan the fact that the NFL doesn’t allow viciouus cheap shots, especially to the head, then turns right around and harpoons the Saints for doing exactly that by calling them the “slimy Saints.” Which one is it Joe.
January 9th, 2025 at 11:12 am
If you never had the chance to watch Lawrence Taylor let me tell you that cat was in a league of his own, Definitely a notch above the rest. Bucky has been lights out. Barring injury will go down as one of Licht’s best picks.
January 9th, 2025 at 11:25 am
Bucky is a special Back, a mixture of Warrick Dunn and Doug Martin. That is an incredible combination. So much fun to see him play. He brought back the excitement of Warrick Dunn, I hope he has Dunn’s longevity.
Doug Martin could never stay healthy. I also think it is imperative that we use the strengths of all 3 of our backs as the main focus in the playoffs. White In the screen, Tucker’s speed and Bucky’s agility and vision, this team can be lethal to any defense.
January 9th, 2025 at 11:34 am
“The way the slimy Saints played last Sunday, it looked like they were trying to take guys out.”
Hey Joe’s, You say this, like it is not the norm for every NFC South Division game? Always has been, always will be.
Back, to Back, to Back, to Back NFC SOUTH Division Champions!!!! Four “Brady/Baker Banners” to add to our collection!!!
GO!!!!!BUCS!!!!!
January 9th, 2025 at 11:39 am
So much vitriol about violence in a violent sport. Saints are notorious knee hunters; witness Chris Godwin. Not that the Bucs are blameless, either. Chris Olave hasn’t played a snap since Zyon McCollum concussed him during game six. Point is, NFL is a violent contact sport.
Go Bucs!
January 9th, 2025 at 11:57 am
Concussions are more of an issue now.
January 9th, 2025 at 1:21 pm
@RustyRhinos
The Saints are easily the Dirtiest franchise in the history of the NFl. To win a Super Bowl the organization got fined, the head coach was suspended for a year, the assistant head coach suspended for like half a year, the d coordinator suspended and then fired. Even the general manager was suspended then the nfl never mentioned the dirty saints bounty gate again to protect their brand
January 9th, 2025 at 4:43 pm
there’s really skunky swamp land near jacksonville, coen can get a water front home on…
leave beautiful tampa for the swamps of shacksonville
January 9th, 2025 at 8:08 pm
Bucky HAS to be the steal of the draft. Love this dude!!!