GENERAL MANAGER JASON LICHT, HEAD COACH TODD BOWLES AND OUTSIDE LINEBACKER RUEBEN BAIN JR.

(Opening Statement)

Jason Licht: "Well, to start things off, we're obviously thrilled to death to get Rueben [Bain] and to have his family here and to share this day with him. It's awesome that you guys could all come. It's really cool. We put a lot of work into all of our draft [and] the players that we're looking at. It starts a long time ago. It's hard not to see this guy on the field when you're watching him, even [when he was] young, the first time he played there. So, it goes way back, but I'd be lying if I said yesterday that [Head Coach] Todd [Bowles] and I were going in the draft thinking that there would be a good chance of getting Rueben [Bain]. A lot of times we say surprises suck, but this surprise did not suck. I said a lot last night, so I'll just kind of turn it over to Coach [Bowles], but once again, just very, very excited to have you and welcome to Tampa."

Todd Bowles: "It's like Jason said, we pick out a few guys that we don't think is going to make it to 15, and there were about eight or nine of them that, regardless of position, we said, 'If these guys end up falling, we're taking them without a doubt.' We had our minds made up on another player just because we figured the top eight or nine guys would be gone and we knew Rueben [Bain] was a top ten pick. He started falling a little bit, and he got to 15, and we knew it wasn't going any further. We couldn't be happier because of the mindset we're trying to change this year with the type of players we signed in free agency and the type of play that he does and the attitude he plays with and the force he plays with…It was really a no-brainer, and he fit everything we're trying to do and get back to from a mental physicality standpoint. His play shows that, and it was an easy decision."

Rueben Bain Jr.: "I'm excited to be here. Let's get it started."

(On having strong family support in Tampa and nearby in Miami)

RBJ: "I feel like it's a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing for me. It's something I don't take for granted, knowing that I could have been across the country somewhere, someway, somehow, and God put me here. I don't take that for granted because I know my family is here, and they're going to support me every step of the way. I've only got 10 [people here] today, but you can see about 20 or 30 more rolling in over time [with] me being here."

(On Bain's versatility along the defensive line)

TB: "It appeals a great deal that he can move up and down the line of scrimmage. Obviously, he had great coaching in college and high school, so to be versatile in this game when you're only allowed to take so many [players] to the game, it's very important to play in a couple different positions, and he can do that."

(On when it became clear that Bain might be available at No. 15)

TB: "There was a possibility, I would say around [pick] 13. It was a possibility. You don't take any of these things for granted because people can trade in front of you and everything else. So, when it got to 15, I felt better, but there was a possibility around 13."

(On how satisfied Bowles is with the team addressing edge rusher early in the draft)

TB: "It's beneficial that we addressed it with him. There's a bunch of edge rushers in this draft. Not many can play like he plays, and play with the attitude he plays with, and the heavy hands he plays with, and fits the scheme that we play with, as well as the people that [are] down there with him that he's going to be working with."

(On what stands out about Bain's physical traits)

TB: "It's his physical style of play – from a mental standpoint and a physical standpoint. Pass rushers come in different ways and different types and different sizes. Some are power, some are speed, some have an arsenal, some can bend, some can't. He can do it all. He can do it all and he shows that up and down the line of scrimmage. He plays with a mentality – a no-losing mentality – at all times. He fights and he plays with the right kind of attitude and mentality that we're trying to bring to this team."

(On where Bain's work ethic comes from)

RBJ: "I think just my family. Having that standard being put in front of me since I was an adolescent and a kid…Really, respect to my big brother. He's the one that kind of showed me where football could take me. He probably [doesn't] even know that, but that's the biggest motivator in my life. [He] gave me the constant motivation to get up and get after it since I was a little kid running around at his high school practice, a little kid running around his college practice, just happy to be there. There [were] a lot of lessons I took from that and now, fast forward to today, those lessons [are] what helped me be who I am today."

(On playing with a physical edge and a "mean streak")

RBJ: "I think I always had that kind of mindset. I feel like it kind of piggybacks off that question as well – just what was put in front of me allowed me to be the player I am today [and] allowed me to kind of play with that head-on-fire mentality…Just run around knowing that you never know what play could be your last. I'm always playing like that. I come in the game [with] the mindset that I don't take anything for granted. When I step on the field, I'm trying to give them my all each and every time."

(On if he's spoken with former Buccaneers LB Lavonte David)

RBJ: "I haven't yet because my phone is just so crazy, but I got to speak with Calijah [Kancey] and I just told him, man, I'm going to be in his ear each and every day, just latching on so I can get as much help as I possibly can because I'm trying to come in and help the team out as much as I possibly can."

(On if he'd like to wear No. 4 as he did at the University of Miami)

RBJ: "I've been told it's already [taken], it's busy right now. Honestly, it's whatever they end up giving me. I'm a little frugal, so all that, buying the jersey stuff off people, I probably won't do that. I'll just take what they give me and go play some football."

(On if he's looking forward to playing in front of Buccaneers fans, many of whom could be University of Miami fans)

RBJ: "[I am] very excited. Like I said, it's an opportunity I don't take for granted. I got to come up here and see a game – I didn't get to play the game, but when we played USF – so I'm familiar with the stadium, I'll say. Now, this time, I actually get to strap up and be on the home side of things and really just show people why I am who I am. I feel like they'll fall in love with that and I'll fall in love with them."

(On whether falling to pick No. 15 adds motivation)

RBJ: "I mean, I'll say my mindset is always to have a bit of edge to me. I feel like I'm the best player no matter what. So, that's kind of what I feed [off of]. I really don't let any outside noise dictate that. I just kind of play with the mindset [of] I'm going to get it each and every play."

(On being part of the culture change at the University of Miami)

RBJ: "It meant a lot, especially for all the guys that [were] there through those 5-7, 7-6 seasons, it means even more to us because we [were] there when it was ugly. We didn't just hop on the bandwagon when it was pretty. So, to actually build something from the ground up, I feel like it means a little bit more. Coach [Mario] Cristobal always says he never wanted to say that the 'U' was back, but [rather that] the 'U' was here. That's the mindset I have – [if] we just do what we do, [if] we play football how we play then we're going to reap the rewards of our success."

(On growing as a leader during his time at the University of Miami)

RBJ: "It was challenging at first because, just me, I'm more of a quieter guy. So, understanding that it's more than being a by-example kind of leader. I have to be vocal at times. I'm still a little hesitant with what I say because I feel like the more selective you are with your words, the more weight it holds. I kind of choose when it's the right time, but at all times I'm going to be a leader, whether that's being by example or vocal."

(On what the biggest adjustment to the NFL might be for Bain)

TB: "It's really just the length of the season. We play 17 regular [season games] plus three preseason games, then you've got playoffs, and that's probably quite a bit more than they play in college. As long as you come in in shape, and I'm sure he will, and he's probably already in shape, he'll be fine. It shouldn't be much of an adjustment."

(On if he has extra motivation after the Miami Dolphins passed on him, considering that's where he is from)

RBJ: "I feel like it won't change anything. My motivation is myself. I always want to be the best player on the field no matter what. No outside factor is going to kind of weigh into that. I'm going to play the game just as if I was playing anybody else – that's with all my effort. When you see that, people are going to see the kind of player I am."

(On when his passion for football developed)

RBJ: "It kind of developed a little bit more when I was 13. I really didn't like football. I thought I was going to be a basketball player growing up, especially watching LeBron [James] when he was in Miami at the time. So, I thought I was going to be a basketball player. I felt like when I stopped growing, it just showed me that football is going to be the thing for me. That's when I feel like I really started to understand what football could do and how to really take pride in my game and what it really means to be a defensive lineman. Ever since then, the sky has been the limit."

(On comparisons to Mike Tyson as it relates to the length of his arms)

RBJ: "I don't know if people know, but I really love boxing. That's the person I feel like [is] very vicious and violent, and I feel like my game is vicious and violent. So, to compare some of the mindset things, I feel like we have [that] in common. I feel like it's a great comparison."

(On if he's looking forward to facing Buccaneers tackles Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke in training camp)

RBJ: "For sure. The first thing I was thinking of was how I could get better each and every day. I'm going against the best of the best. Tristan, I feel like he's going to give me the best looks I possibly can. I'm going to do my best to give him the best looks he possibly could get because I know that's a great caliber of player, and I understand that iron sharpens iron. That's what we [were] built on in college, and that's my same mindset – to come in and do the same thing at this level. [I'll] give him my all so I can get all his from him."

(On if he has any advice for young athletes)

RBJ: "To keep working because nobody can ever tell you no. It's never no, it's just not yet. Nobody determines what you can and can't accomplish. No matter what the situation is, you always determine the outcome."

(On his biggest lesson from Jason Taylor, who coached him at the University of Miami)

RBJ: "I can say patience. That really related to not only about life, but football. I used to kind of tense up a little bit if I felt like games weren't really going my way. He instilled the mindset in me to rather than just let things come to me, just let the game just flow and [let] my instincts just take over."

(On learning alongside Akheem Mesidor at the University of Miami)

RBJ: "That was a tremendous amount of help. Coming into college, Akheem was my mentor, somebody that took me under his wing and really introduced me to what college football is like. I was able to really get one-on-one coaching because he was hurt that first year, my freshman year. Ever since then, we've just been flourishing and getting better each and every day. Fast forward to this year, it was more of a…It's still a big brother relationship, but he's more like a peer right now. We [were] able just to really bounce off each other with information and competition or anything we really wanted to do."

-BUCCANEERS-