Joseph confirmed a non-MRSA staph infection affected him this summer

It was odd Wednesday when the he-said; she-said tug-of-war developed between reports that Bucs good guy right guard Davin Joseph had MRSA, then didn’t have MRSA, then had staph/ MRSA, staph, split hairs, tap dance. Either way, Joseph, who hasn’t been his normal self this year and who was coming off of major knee surgery, had something wrong with him and it wasn’t good.

On the same day, before Tampa Bay Times Rick Stroud’s Twitter moved that Joseph indeed had staph, Joseph was not in the Bucs locker room during the media session. This raised a few eyebrows. Joseph, one of the coolest guys in the locker room (he’s just a cool guy all around, especially how much he helps out the athletic department at King High School), wasn’t available. Joseph is always available. Hhhmmm?

Well, Thursday, Joseph was available to talk to the local pen and mic club and put all MRSA rumors to rest.

“I never had MRSA,” Joseph said. “I do not have MRSA and never had MRSA, plain and simple. I had a staph infection over the summertime, but it wasn’t MRSA.”

That probably explains why Joseph did not go to New England for joint practices with the Patriots, which was the same time the Bucs discovered a MRSA outbreak in their locker room.

Still, a staph infection is nasty. Joe’s been hospitalized for that before. The meds they give you definitely zap you of your stamina. Joe couldn’t imagine playing football or practicing football while under those meds, much less running to the nearest bar for cold beer.

Perhaps this is why Joseph has struggled to find his previous form, from before his knee buckled in a 2012 preseason home game.