Undrafted rookie John Bullock defied the odds and made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' coveted 53-man roster to start the regular season. Tampa Bay signed Bullock in May as a college free agent and he impressed the coaches throughout the offseason workout program. Overall, Bullock appeared in 47 career games, making 23 starts, across four seasons (2021–24) at the University of Nebraska and totaled 126 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, eight passes defensed, three forced fumbles and one interception (returned for a touchdown).
He originally joined Nebraska as a walk-on before earning a scholarship prior to his senior campaign. Bullock was named honorable mention All-Big Ten as a senior in 2024 after starting all 13 games and he registered a career-high 70 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, six passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one interception returned for a touchdown.
"I am truly honored and I am going to make the most of it," said Bullock. "Special teams-wise, I knew that came into play and I knew that was how I was going to find my niche and find my role and I made sure to kind of tune into that every single play. I love to play the game and any way I can help this team win, I am going to try to do that to scratch and claw and do whatever to find my way."
Head Coach Todd Bowles and Inside Linebackers coach Mike Caldwell congratulated Bullock as he underwent treatment in the training room and let the first-year player know he made the 53. Bullock immediately called his father and basked in the moment he had dreamed of. Bullock's belief in himself paid dividends and spurred his journey to the NFL.
"I have always had the confidence in myself," described Bullock. "I know what kind of player I am and I know what kind of player I can be and what I put into this game, so I always knew I had it in me. I know I am not the most talented player ever, but I always knew that I had the work ethic to do it."
Throughout training camp and the preseason, Bullock showcased his skills. From physical tackles on kickoff coverage, to tipping the ball at the line of scrimmage for Nick Jackson's interception, Bullock became a disruptive force on the field. Bowles praised the cerebral approach of Bullock and his grasp of the system, citing it became a rarity when he made a mistake. He joins fellow Nebraska alum, Lavonte David, in the inside linebacker room along with SirVocea Dennis and Deion Jones.
