Donald Penn: Pro Bowl Tackle, Punt Returner
June 14th, 2012
It was a very abbreviated final day of minicamp practice at One Buc Palace today, thanks to Donald Penn’s punt returning ability.
OK, the not so svelte Pro Bowl left tackle didn’t actually return a punt. But he did catch a punt, with zero warning from the new Bucs coach.
The reward? Practice, and minicamp, was over.
Not even Penn knew why he was chosen for such an honor, learning of his task roughly an hour into practice.
“I guess because I’m always talking,” Penn joked.
It was a welcome relief to the Bucs players who celebrated as if they received word Rachel Watson was now single and free beer was on tap.
It was sort of a reward by Schiano who praised the Bucs for an intense minicamp, which was seconded by Penn himself. Schiano “wanted the intensity level to be this high,” Penn said, raising his right hand. “And it stayed there.”
As for catching the punt from a Jugs gun, Penn was confident he would catch it, and bragged the result would have been the same if Michael Koenen was punting instead.
June 14th, 2012 at 11:39 am
You see that Eric? That is what you call team building, the Schiano way. Come on eric “toes on the line.”
June 14th, 2012 at 11:44 am
Penn is always saying he has good hands, Mabey he wasn’t lieing. Guess he’ll be competing with Parker now.
June 14th, 2012 at 11:45 am
great news. love to hear good stories like that
June 14th, 2012 at 12:20 pm
Well, he does have 2 catches for 16 yds and 1 td! He’s on pace to catch Sapp, who had 4 catches for 49 yds and 2 tds!
June 14th, 2012 at 12:29 pm
I know its only an OTA but i never did like these type of things where they get an abbreviated day because of something silly. New staff, new playbook, new scheme… they need all the reps and practice they can get on the field.
June 14th, 2012 at 12:41 pm
Silence:
Both Schiano (and Penn) admitted practice was called off early because the players earned it by their work through OTAs and minicamp.
Joe’s pretty confident if Schiano believed the team needed the work, it would have been a full practice session today.
June 14th, 2012 at 12:45 pm
For those who want to throw him under the bus. Think about how long he has to hold his block for Freeman who holds on to the ball way to long. And this is a guy because he may gain a little wait can still hold a block that long and keep Freeman off his back. I am sure glad we are keeping him. I bet Freeman damn sure is.
June 14th, 2012 at 12:47 pm
^weight
June 14th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
Raheem let them of early last year when trueblood caught a punt too… Remember Joe?