 Natural athlete and pass rusher… First defensive player chosen in the 2007 NFL Draft… Game-changing performer who can wreak havoc in the backfield… Led all NFL rookies with six sacks in 2007… Led the Buccaneers with 6.5 sacks in 2008… Earned PFW/PFWA All-Rookie Team honors in 2007… Appeared in 37 career games with 29 starts… Also started one playoff game… Totaled 124 tackles, 13.5 sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 13 passes defensed… Also recorded one career touchdown, returning an interception 45 yards for a score at Chicago (9/21/08)… Added five tackles and one sack in playoff contest… Originally entered the NFL as a first-round selection (fourth overall) by Tampa Bay in the 2007 NFL Draft. |
 2009: Started all five games on the year… Had one tackle and two QBPs in season opener against Dallas (9/13)… Finished game at Buffalo (9/20) with three tackles… Tallied four tackles, including one TFL, and a team-leading three QBPs vs. N.Y. Giants (9/27)… Posted first sack of the season at Washington (10/4), dropping QB Jason Campbell on the second play of the game… Recovered a Campbell fumble on the third play of the game, setting up the Buccaneers first touchdown… Finished game against the Redskins with five tackles, one sack, two QBPs, one pass defensed, one fumble recovery and two TFLs… Had one tackle, one pass defensed and three QBPs at Philadelphia (10/11). |
 2008: Started all 16 contests on the season… Led the team with a career-high 6.5 sacks… Ranked tied for sixth on the team with seven passes defensed… Recorded first career touchdown and interception at Chicago (9/21)… Ranked tied for fourth on the team with two interceptions… Totaled 55 tackles with 6.5 sacks, three TFLs, seven passes defensed and two interceptions, with one returned for a touchdown… Tallied one tackle in season opener at New Orleans (9/7)… Recorded second career multi-sack game against Atlanta (9/14), dropping QB Matt Ryan for a career-high tying two sacks… Finished contest against the Falcons with six tackles… Recorded first career interception at Chicago (9/21), picking off QB Kyle Orton and returning it 45 yards for a touchdown… Finished contest against the Bears with three tackles and one pass defensed… Led defensive linemen with a career-high tying seven tackles vs. Green Bay (9/28)… Added his second career interception off QB Aaron Rodgers and one pass defensed against the Packers… Totaled four tackles at Denver (10/5)… Had one tackle and one pass defensed vs. Carolina (10/12)… Finished game against Seattle (10/19) with two tackles and one pass defensed… Recorded third career multi-sack performance and second of the season at Dallas (10/26), dropping QB Brad Johnson for two sacks… Added six tackles and two TFLs against the Cowboys… Finished contest at Kansas City (11/2) with four tackles… Notched four tackles and one pass defensed vs. Minnesota (11/16)… Finished contest at Detroit (11/23) with three tackles, two passes defensed and one sack of QB Daunte Culpepper… Had one tackle and 0.5 sack of QB Drew Brees vs. New Orleans (11/30)… Had four tackles, including one TFL, at Carolina (12/8)… Finished game at Atlanta (12/14) with six tackles… Had one tackle vs. San Diego (12/21)… Posted two tackles and one sack of QB JaMarcus Russell in season finale vs. Oakland (12/28). 2007: Earned PFW/PFWA All-Rookie Team honors… Played in all 16 contests with eight starts (vs. Arizona, at Atlanta, vs. Washington, at New Orleans, at Houston, vs. Atlanta, at San Francisco and vs. Carolina) on the season… Also started playoff contest… Led all NFL rookies and ranked tied for second on the team with six sacks… His six sacks were the second-best single-season total for a rookie in club history (Santana Dotson, 10, 1992)… Finished the season with 55 tackles, six sacks, two forced fumbles and four passes defensed… Made NFL debut at Seattle (9/9), recording two tackles… Notched one tackle and two passes defensed vs. New Orleans (9/16)… Had four tackles, including one TFL, vs. St. Louis (9/23)… Finished contest at Indianapolis (10/7) with four tackles, matching his then season high… Also posted the Buccaneers first blocked PAT since 1986 against the Colts… Established a then season-high with six tackles vs. Tennessee (10/14)… Posted first career sack against the Titans, dropping QB Vince Young for a four-yard loss… Saw action at defensive end at Detroit (10/21)… Notched two tackles and 0.5 sack vs. Jacksonville (10/28)… Made first career start vs. Arizona (11/4), recording two tackles and one pass defensed… Had five tackles, including two sacks, and one forced fumble at Atlanta (11/18)… Finished contest vs. Washington (11/25) with four tackles… Posted season-high seven tackles, including one sack of QB Drew Brees, and one pass defensed at New Orleans (12/2)… Registered six tackles and 0.5 sack of QB Sage Rosenfels at Houston (12/9)… Totaled six tackles, including one sack and forced fumble of QB Chris Redman vs. Atlanta (12/16)… Forced fumble occurred in Falcons territory and led to a Buccaneers touchdown… Finished with three tackles at San Francisco (12/23)… Had five tackles and one sack of QB Eli Manning in NFC Wild Card game vs. N.Y. Giants (1/6). |
 Tied for first in Clemson history with 28 career sacks (also Michael Dean Perry)… Earned unanimous First-Team All-American honors in 2006, ranking fourth in the nation with an average of 0.96 quarterback sacks per game… Named the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year as a senior after registering 12.5 sacks in 2006… Single-season mark of 12.5 sacks ranked second in school history… Deflected 21 career passes, second all-time in school history… Played in 48 career games with 26 starts at Clemson… Finished his career with 168 tackles, 28 sacks, 44.5 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries… Returned a fumble 66 yards for a touchdown at Wake Forest (10/7/06)… Also totaled 66 quarterback pressures, 21 passes defensed and blocked two punts… Set a school record with at least one sack in eight consecutive games in 2006… Four-year letterman and defensive captain as a senior… Started all 13 games for Clemson as a senior… Totaled 62 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and six passes defensed… Returned a fumble 66 yards for a touchdown… One of five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Award… One of six finalists for the Ted Hendricks Award, given to the top defensive end in college football... Led the team with 17.5 tackles for loss and 25 quarterback pressures… Recovered three fumbles for 85 yards in returns… Forced two fumbles and deflected six passes… Started all 12 games as a junior… Totaled 56 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and nine passes defensed… Ranked sixth on the team with 56 tackles… Led the squad with 29 quarterback pressures and 9.5 sacks… Third on the team with 15 tackles for losses and three forced fumbles… Nine passes defensed set a school season record for defensive linemen and led the team in that category… Played in 11 games with one start as a sophomore… Totaled 35 tackles, five sacks, eight tackles for loss, one forced fumble and four passes defensed… Recipient of the team’s “12th Man Award” for his performance as a reserve defensive end… Blocked two punts, one vs. Utah State that resulted in a touchdown and one vs. South Carolina, becoming the first Tiger defensive end to record two blocked punts in one season... Played in 12 games as a redshirt freshman… Recorded 15 tackles, one sack, four tackles for loss and two passes defensed…Majored in sports management. |
 Provides charitable groups with tickets to Bucs home games through “Gaines’ Gang,” a gameday ticket program… Along with the defensive line, helped host a holiday party for kids and families at the Children’s Cancer Center in 2008… Signed autographs and greeted fans at the 2008 Official Season Kickoff Party presented by Miller Lite… Spoke at a breakfast and lunch Chamber event as part of the St. Pete/Clearwater and Tampa Chamber of Commerce “Chamber Series” in 2007… Visited DisneyQuest with children from the Pine Hills Branch of the Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida and the Buccaneers Rookie Club in June 2007… Hosted a football camp for 60 children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay and MacDill Air Force Base with the Buccaneers Rookie Club in June 2007… As a member of the Buccaneers Rookie Club, bowled with children from Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Tampa Bay and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Pinellas County on Memorial Day 2007…. Attended Fork Union Academy in 2001 and totaled 58 tackles, 22 sacks, and two interceptions in 10 games… Attended Cambridge Academy (Greenwood, S.C.), playing football for former All-SEC and South Carolina QB Steve Taneyhill…. Two-time All-State selection and All-Lakelands Class A Player of the Year as a senior… Rated a three-star prospect by Rivals100.com, even though his school played eight-man football… Totaled 14 sacks, leading his team to the 2000 state title… Also had 57 catches for 1,680 yards and 20 touchdowns on offense and posted 78 solo tackles, along with five interceptions as a defensive end in 2000… In three seasons at Cambridge, had 158 career receptions for 4,394 yard and 65 touchdowns, 341 tackles, 10 interceptions, and 33 sacks… Born Gaines Adams on June 8, 1983. |
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