Rookie returner Kaelin Clay. Photo courtesy of Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Once upon a time, legendary Redskins return man Brian Mitchell took the opening kickoff of his rookie career — yes, preseason — and finished the play celebrating a touchdown.

And Mitchell’s impact is still being felt — at Buccaneers training camp.

Without question, the Bucs’ No. 1 returner is rookie Kaelin Clay. The sixth-round pick out of Utah arguably was the best return man in college football last year. It’s Clay’s job to lose, but there are no plans for that.

The skills are there with Clay. He’s 5-10, 195 pounds and ran a 4.45 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. And the guy seems to play faster.

What the Bucs are working on is developing Clay’s brain and cultivating a mindset of an elite returner, Clay told Joe yesterday.

Lovie Smith wants another Devin Hester. And Clay has been directed by his position coach, Kevin O’Dea, who coached Hester in Chicago, to study film and the approaches of Hester and Mitchell, plus and the sports psychology of Tiger Woods.

“Hester has been more of a one-cut guy. Brian, his mindset was, ‘Nobody’s going to tackle me. I’m going to run through whoever, whenever,” Clay said. “You know, I’m kind of bigger. I’m not as shifty as fast as Devin, but I’m big and still fast. My mindset is, ‘Use your speed, use your shiftiness, but also use your power.’ Coaches say I can break arm tackles; they’ve seen my strength, and so just a mixture of both — gel both of those approaches together and make it what I bring to the table.”

Clay said the NFL has been a rough adjustment, but he feels comfortable now despite knowing mistakes will not be tolerated. “My coach challenged me, ‘You get one drop, if that, and that’s in pre-practice,'” Clay said. “I’ve been getting better, and I met that goal [Wednesday.]”

Joe has yet to see Clay muff a punt or a kickoff. It’s a good sign.

Clay said he’s not a nervous type and doesn’t foresee any jitters on Saturday night in Minnesota, even if the Bucs’ preseason starts with the ball coming right at him under the lights.