TAMPA, Fla — Thursday, the Buccaneers wrapped up their three-day, mandatory minicamp. For veteran receiver Mike Evans, it's a copy-and-paste situation each offseason.
"I do the same sh** every year," Evans said bluntly after practice. "Work out really hard. Hang with my family. Play video games. Go on trips. The normal, same thing."
WATCH: Evans, Bucs wrap up mandatory minicamp
Evans is entering his 12th NFL season. He's the only player ever to begin his career with 11 straight 1,000-receiving campaigns. One more and he'll pass Hall of Famer Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in a career. Evans said he met Rice briefly in 2018, but it was in passing. This offseason, the two sat down to discuss football and life.
"Being able to sit down and talk to the greatest receiver ever was pretty humbling," Evans said. "The things he had to say about me… it was a great moment for me."
Evans laughed when addressing the fact that Rice was excited for the prospect of Evans breaking his record.
"Hopefully I can do it… early [haha]."
The Bucs drafted Evans in 2014, and they finished the season 2-14. The 31-year-old said he was hungry to win then, and he's still hungry now.
"You have a different type of juice when you’re younger," he explained. "But when you’re older, that motivation is winning. So, that’s my motivation."
Second-year running back Bucky Irving watched Evans from afar and only heard stories about the type of teammate he was. Now that they share the same field Irving says the future Hall of Famer is as good as advertised.
"You never see him get too high. You never see him get too low. Just being able to watch him and see how he grows each and every day," Irving said after Thursday's workout. "It’s a blessing to be around someone that I could probably tell my family or kids one day that I played with one of the greats to ever do it."
Head coach Todd Bowles was brief when he was asked about his message to the young players as they break for the next six weeks.
"Obviously, come back in shape because working out indoors ain’t gonna help ‘em," he said. "We come back in this heat, they understand what they’re coming back to. Just be ready to roll."
The Bucs kick off training camp in late July. The times and dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
Pasco County woman trying to rebuild mobile home after hurricanes
"I cried, of course, because I've worked very hard getting it nice, which has been difficult for me since I lost my husband and being alone,” Kelly Welty said.
Welty's mobile home lost its roof during Hurricane Milton. She said it was the only one in the Buena Vista community to get totaled by a tornado.
