The Gophers Gang
July 30th, 2020
Goldy has Bucs connections.
Joe thought this was pretty cool.
There are a few connections between the Bucs and the University of Minnesota. The Gophers last year had one of the program’s greatest seasons. Minnesota finished 11-2, their most season wins since the Teddy Roosevelt administration.
The Gophers beat Auburn in the Outback Bowl here in Tampa, the highest-prestige bowl game Minnesota was in since winning the 1961 Rose Bowl.
The Bucs drafted two potential starters from that Minnesota team, safety Antoine Winfield and receiver Tyler Johnson. It was at the aforementioned Outback Bowl where Bucs coach Bucco Bruce Arians saw Johnson tear up Auburn and Arians turned to his son and told him the Bucs had to get that guy.
But also, Minnesota’s head coach, P.J. Fleck, was the Bucs’ receivers coach in 2012. So yesterday, the Bucs snapped a photo and published it on social media with Winfield and Johnson standing at the entrance to Fleck’s old Bucs office, which is now occupied by offensive assistant Tom Moore.
Joe has a hunch we will see a lot of photos over the years of Winfield and Johnson, the Gophers gang.
And Joe understands there is not supposed to be hazing in the NFL, so Joe is guessing rookies cannot haul trash. So can someone at One Buc Palace clean out Moore’s wastebasket?
Our @GopherFootball draft picks outside of P.J. Fleck’s old office đź‘‹
Lookin’ good, @AntoineWJr11 & @T_muhneyy10! pic.twitter.com/g7sfGWCfgX
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) July 29, 2020
July 30th, 2020 at 6:42 am
Excited about our new draft picks…like I am every year…..hope the excitement doesn’t fizzle….like it does most every year.
Tyler Johnson may be the steal of this year.
July 30th, 2020 at 6:52 am
Looks like he is not recycling either!
July 30th, 2020 at 7:27 am
Good job Joe!
Go Bucs!!!
July 30th, 2020 at 7:34 am
Great story. These Gophers are going to be great. Great to think back on coach Fleck, too. His energy was astounding. I remember him running receiver routes in practice. Was really fast. And really well liked. Overall good egg.
July 30th, 2020 at 8:31 am
One of the two games they lost was to Wirfs’ team.
July 30th, 2020 at 8:48 am
These 2 rookies are going to be pretty darn good I do believe.
July 30th, 2020 at 8:53 am
This draft may not top the Sapp/Brooks draft but it may eventually if these new Bucs perform as well as their potential. I think Wirfs, Winfield, Vaughn, Johnson as well as Ray Calais. Hopefully they stay healthy, injury free and the season is able to be played all of the way to the SB.
July 30th, 2020 at 9:45 am
RJ – I concur. I think this draft will shine. Even in this weird season. It may take a couple of years to see, though.
July 30th, 2020 at 10:43 am
yeah i hear ya but somewhere down the line and in the near future, we going to have to get a QB, brady ain’t gonna be here for the next 10 years ya’ll
July 30th, 2020 at 11:50 am
I believed on draft night and still believe we got good value with both the “Gophers” where the Bucs selected them. As always the proof will be production on the football field, but I’m optimistic that both of these players see plenty of play time if not this year then next.
July 30th, 2020 at 12:20 pm
Damn, Antoine Winfield is jacked.