TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving took the league by storm in his rookie season, quickly becoming a fan-favorite thanks to his explosive play-making ability. But as he gears up for his second year, Irving says he’s focused on what's ahead—not what he did in year one.
"None of that stuff matters, what I did last year. It's about what I can do right now," Irving said after Friday's practice. "I always had that mentality. Not being stuck in the things that you did last year. It's all about what can you do for me now?"
What Bucky has been doing is putting in the work to make sure he has an even better season in 2025. He's known for showing up to the team facility before 5 a.m. every morning, and he has no plans on sleeping in anytime soon.
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“It feels like someone out there is outworking me,” he said. “I’ve always got that on my mind—that I’ve gotta do more. That's always on my mind. I can do better because I’m not satisfied.”
On the defensive side of the ball, safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. is also coming into 2025 with something to prove. After missing eight games due to injury last season, he’s returning with a renewed sense of purpose—and a visible joy for the game.
“This is a child’s game that we get to play at this level,” Winfield said, grinning. “We get to have fun and play football. If I’ve got energy it's because I love doing what I do.”
Winfield wants to use last year's frustration as fuel for a personal comeback and another postseason run.
"That starts in camp. It started in OTA's. It started in minicamp," he explained. "It's just making sure that that's the standard. That we can actually do this thing if we put everything together."
The Bucs have an off day on Saturday before hitting the field again Sunday morning. Their first padded practice is set for Monday morning.
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