WR Sammie Stroughter has already gained a following among Buc fans for his gritty play
During the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 27-20 preseason loss to the Houston Texans on Friday night, rookie wide receiver Sammie Stroughter caught one pass for six yards, returned one punt for five yards and ran back three kickoffs for 68 yards.
Those were relatively modest statistics for a young player who has already captured the attention of many Buccaneer fans, but Friday night's game was conducted mostly by players making one last push for the 53-man roster. Stroughter seems to have punched his ticket weeks ago, and he had limited playing time on Friday night.
That didn't stop Buccaneer fans from following his every move. And those Buc fans who were also following posts by the official Buccaneers Twitter user (tbbuccaneers) made their interest in Stroughter known.
This season, fans who follow the Bucs on Twitter and have registered for the completely free One Buc Club on Buccaneers.com will have the opportunity to choose and conduct — from afar — an interview with a Tampa Bay player after every game. In the first half, the Bucs' official user accepts tweets from followers suggesting the best player to interview after the game. In the second half, the player with the most "votes" is announced and the Twitter followers send in suggested questions. A Buccaneers.com staffer then compiles a handful of those questions and asks them of the chosen interview subject in the locker room after the game.
On Friday night, the chosen player was Stroughter. What follows is our first Twitter-generated Q&A, composed entirely of questions submitted by fans. This first Q&A is being posted here on Buccaneers.com; beginning with the September 13 Dallas game, the Q&A will be sent to members of the One Buc Club.
The One Buc Club is free and you can join it right here on Buccaneers.com. Registering for the One Buc Club instantly enters the user in a series of drawings for valuable prizes, such as private luxury suite for one game and a trip to London to watch the Buccaneers take on the New England Patriots on October 25. There are other contests, ticket opportunities, merchandise discounts, breaking news items and more available to all One Buc Club members. Click here to join.
One note: Since Twitter posts are limited to 140 characters each, users often abbreviate words to communicate their ideas as succinctly as possible. Some unconventional abbreviations, such as "r" for "are," become commonplace. The questions below are reprinted exactly as they were sent.
Sammie Stroughter Twitter Q&A
Best advice since joining Bucs? Who was it from? … What music does he listen to before game? "There's been so much, but the biggest thing is not being a coach-killer. That's the biggest thing. If you practice something in practice, you've got to translate into the game. So not being a coach-killer, and just understanding, trying to get better each and every day, and co-sign every play.
"I'm more of a Mac Dre type of cat, Northern California, some Vallejo, where I'm originally from. But I also like some slow jams, just to smooth the mood out. I'm already a little bit hyper already as a person, so I can just mellow out and understand that I have a lot to come."
R u able 2 go further than Clifton Smith not only be Pro Bowl returner…but b a solid contrib rookie in the offense "Yes, it's just understanding my role. In the preseason, they want you to play everywhere. The more you can do, the better off for you. Now that we're getting to the season, it's about mastering your craft and understanding your role. So whichever that is for me, if it's spelling Clifton Smith with some returns or anything like that, or coming in and trying to be that replacement for Ike [Hilliard], different things, whatever my role is, I want to master that and try to be the best person I can be."
Who on the team does he have a tight bond with and who he looks up to the most. "Sabby Piscitelli, obviously. That's ‘Big Bird' right there. Ronde [Barber], just the way he carries himself each and every day. I think that was a big person that I was like, ‘Ok, he's the man.' He's just a man of character. And I'd say ‘Lac [Cadillac Williams]. He's a fun-going guy, but when it gets down to the nitty-gritty, he's about his business, and the way he's just bounced back from turmoil and different things."
Ask him if he's gonna be our Ike Hilliard of old :) "What's so great about this game is I'm Sammie Stroughter. Please believe, whatever my role is on this team, I'm going to do it to the best of my ability, to the utmost. If it is being that guy on third down, come on. I'm ready. My shoulders are broad and I believe I can do a lot for this team and I can contribute."
Do you feel like you've nailed down a spot on this team? "Yes, I believe that I belong, and that I can be a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. I believe that with my utmost. I believe that. I believe I can play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I can play in this league. I did everything I can do. I put all my film out there, I co-signed every play I was in, my reps. Wherever it goes, I have high hopes. God's behind me, and he has a plan for me."
What do u think of playing at Raymond James Stadium "Ah, that cannon, that pirate ship… It hasn't been sold out yet, but we have great fans, and we can't wait to come out there and really play when everything is on the line for them. It's going to be a fantastic season. Please be aware and watch out."
