TAMPA, FL -- The Tampa Bay Bucs put on the pads and hit the field at One Buc Place for the team's first full practice Saturday. Thousands of fans packed the stands to watch the players go through their drills under rookie head coach Raheem Morris.
Larry Goings and his sister drove up from Bradenton to attend the morning drill. Then they hung around Raymond James Stadium waiting for the evening practice. "It's not tough at all," Goings said. "If the players can do it, why can't we? We're just as dedicated as they are."
Nearly five hours before the practice started -- three hours before the parking lot even opened -- Scott Mesick was parked in his truck waiting to take his son and a friend to the first day of practice.
"It's opening day, you know!, Mesnick said, "This is a new year for the Bucs, and we want to see what the Bucs are made of this year."
Lots of fans planned on making it a 12 hour Buccaneer love fest. They're welcoming the Bucs back to Tampa for pre-season. This morning's drill was the first public practice at the new One Buc Place. The team held pre-season practice the past several seasons at Walt Disney World.
Despite a dismal finish last season, the Bucs are starting new. New head coach, new quarterback and a new place to practice.
