Raheem Talks Motivation

November 30th, 2011

Joe knows fans love to get inside Raheem Morris’ head.

This is why Joe brings you the interesting nuggets from The Raheem Morris Show on WDAE-AM 620. On Monday night, Raheem talked about motivating his club. Raheem explained that he’s not a rah-rah overly animated guy because players want/need everything real and straight.

“As far as motivation, man, it comes in different forms. It’s like being a teacher,” Raheem said. “When you go into a classroom, and you’re a teacher you motivate people through film study. You gotta motivate them through tape. You gotta motivate them through themselves. You gotta motivate them to look at themselves. You gotta motivate them through going out on the practice field and practicing hard. You gotta motivate them as far as pads. You gotta motivate guys all different ways. You know, people are moved differently. Some guys are retention learners. Some guys learned through, you know, going out and getting a walk-through. Some guys learn different ways. It’s the same thing with motivation. Every one of these guys are different. They’re all motivated differently.”

As an example, Raheem went on to say Da’Quan Bowers is a guy motivated by playing time, and Raheem said Bowers responded in his first start last week following a week of more repetitions in practice.

Host T.J. Rives then asked Raheem what’s the one thing he’s learned about motivation that he didn’t know when he started three years ago as head coach. 

“The worst part about it for my guys is they really respond to live action,” Morris said. “You know, get these guys out there and go in pads and let them guys respond. That’s what they want. You know, kind of our Green Bay week when we went to [two] padded days and those guys went out and hit each other and they went and played and they went out there. A lot of teams that would tear down. Not our team. It kind of fired them up a litle bit. The problem is, those [new labor agreement] rules don’t allow you to do that anymore. We gotta figure out a way to get around that as well. [Through] competition, I should say.”

Joe found it interesting that Raheem didn’t single out fear as a motivator, fear in general or fear of losing one’s job. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t use that tactic, but it wasn’t on the tip of his tongue. Joe sure hopes Raheem can find an effective alternative to having multiple physical practices during game weeks, which the new labor agreement nearly prohibits.

One suggestion for motivation, perhaps the offensive coaching staff should be forced to wear pewter skirts around One Buc Palace on Mondays until the Bucs score an offensive touchdown in a first quarter. Just a thought.

10 Responses to “Raheem Talks Motivation”

  1. NickinMelbourne Says:

    Great worst motivating coach in team history is now giving us lessons on motivation. Teams usually have a lack of motivation at the tail end of a season when the losses pile up or against inferior teams they just could not get up for. The Bucs tanked in San Francisco in the middle of a playoff run against a formidable opponent. I was at the Texan game it looked like they were just trying to play flag football. Its the head coaches job to motivate and how many players from the opposing team this year have told our players we need to start trying????? Raheems downfall is motivatio. For some reason his buddy/coach approach gives players no reason to give effort because he will love them either way effort or no effort. What a joke. Please Raheem go motivate your dog at home you might be better at that.

  2. BucForce Says:

    Wah wah Rah Rah. All 32 teams in the NFL now have to deal with the practice restrictions agreed to by the PLAYERS in the new CBA. They didn’t want to wear down over the course of the season. It is what it is, so deal with it like everyone else. Using not practicing in pads more again sounds like an excuse for their poor play. Earlier it was the schedule, yet we lost to a Tennessee team arguably worse than us on paper. Figure it out Raheem ,or find another gig at Kansas State.

  3. Eric Says:

    Players get motivated, at least partially, by seeing the results of their efforts translate on the field. Things like having a good gameplan, etc. For example I thing Bellichick’s Pats know that he is going to put them in position to win, almost every week.

    Its similar perhaps to a receiver who busts his ass to get open, and then the QB hits him in stride. Doesnt work so well if the Qb throws it in the dirt every time.

    So, if the other team continues to run through Rah’s defense like a scalded bulldog running down a marble staircase, it hurts morale after awhile.

    Apparantly, the man has no answer for it. Might be time to look in the mirror?

  4. OAR Says:

    Excuse #5…..AGAIN!

  5. thomas 2.2 Says:

    “you got to motivate them through themselves” = Genius! No s-it.

    Motivation comes easily in the NFL bc if you play well you get very rich – any pro will tell you that.

    Motivation isnt the problem – a clueless coach is.

    TJ Rives is the biggest suck up in radio history. They could lose 50 nothing and TJ will spend 10 minutes complimenting rah for not tripping while running out of the tunnel. I know the controlling Glazers restrain the host, but my goodness do you have any journalistic integrity or character at all.

    This team is 4-7 and lost 5 in a row with three blowouts and if you didnt know it from listening to the Rah /Rives suck up show – we are the 11-0 defending champ Packers.

  6. RichinNC Says:

    He forgot the biggest motivator. Be his little buddy and get a huge contract despite actually doing anything on the field.

  7. NickinMelbourne Says:

    Raheem talking motivation is like Sandusky talking childcare.

  8. thibs5599 Says:

    been saying if for a few weeks and ill say it again, nobody gets cut or looses playing time based on their play, besides one guy geno and the best backup watson hasnt even been given the chance to start over him. All the dlineman are raheems young draft picks there not going anywhere if its up to him.

  9. Scotty in Fat Antonio Says:

    I wish T.J. Rives or any of the local media types would have had the “gnads” to follow-up with what BucForce said above about the other 31 teams having to play by the same rules.

    Are the locals scared that Raheem won’t talk to them or grant them interviews anymore if they did? Unfortunately, come next season, I don’t beleive it will be an issue with a new head coach.

    Raheem is a GREAT person…just not NFL Coach material.

  10. RescueRob from Orlando Says:

    What I can’t stand is the same old same old Raheem post game just got our butts kicked plethera of excuses and ramblings. “we just gotta coach better, gotta tackle better, gotta catch better, gotta block better, gotta kick better, gotta cover better, gotta stop getting drive killing bone headed should know what we are doing penalties better. Raheem would be a decent D coordinator (with no other responsibilities). We need Cowher or Reid to bring back respectability to our defense, good qb coaching, imaginative play calling, discipline, fundamentals, etc. The current regime is an absolute joke