HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The first day of on-field workouts for NFL rookies is like the first day of school. Buccaneer's draft picks and free agents step on the practice field in Tampa Bay for the first time this weekend.
First-round pick Calijah Kancey had his game plan ready when he stepped foot in the Bucs team facility. It includes three things: Learn. Engage. Execute.
"I want to learn my way around Tampa because I only know about Busch Gardens," Kancey joked after Friday's walk-through. "I want to learn every coach's name. Everyone's name around the building. Custodians, chefs, everything. Then I want to engage. Talk to people, get to know them: teammates, coaches, everyone. Then I want to execute. If coach gives me an assignment, I can go make that play."
Kancey, a defensive lineman and Miami native is used to the Florida heat. Bucs second-round selection Cody Mauch grew up in Minnesota and played his college football at North Dakota State, where it's not quite as warm.
"It couldn't really be any more different than I was used to in college or growing up. Excited for it!" Mauch said before Friday's practice. "Just gotta drink a lot of water. Get with the nutrition staff to figure out the right thing to do. Eliminate cramps. Make sure you're not dehydrated. Drink water all the time. That's probably a good start."
The scouting report says Mauch could potentially play guard, tackle, or center in the NFL. He credits his growing up on a farm for allowing him to adapt to change.
"In the summer, you're a ten-year-old kid. All you want to do is go to the park and play basketball with your friends, but you have to be at the shop at 7 A.M. to help out on the farm," he explained.
"It's just growing up quicker, learning to take on responsibility at a younger age."
Mauch also admitted to being a huge Taylor Swift fan.
When pressed about which song is his favorite, he grinned and said, "It changes every day... you know, it's a tough one. I'm big on the new stuff. A lot of people don't like the new stuff. Something from the new "Midnight" album. Any day it could change."
