“I’m Always Throwing My Fastball At Your Head”
July 20th, 2025
The most special of the Buccaneers’ new “Born A Buccaneer” series dropped today and Joe was mesmerized. It was worth a second watch.
It truly is one of the great prodcutions the Bucs have ever published.
The Bucs have been pairing old legends with current players for extended chats — Mike Evans with Derrick Brooks, Rondé Barber with Baker Mayfield, Lavonte David with Batman Wood, etc. It’s mostly been sappy stuff — think a teenage couple saying “I love you” over and over.
But today featured iconic Bucs pass rusher Simeon Rice and YaYa Diaby on the practice field. It was riveting stuff if you like the nuances of the game and inspirational mentoring.
Rice was coaching up Diaby and, frankly, it sure seemed like Diaby has not been getting the level of intstruction Rice provided since being drafted in 2023. Rice seemed to be introducing Diaby to concept after concept for the first time. That’s just Joe’s impression from the 15-minute video.
Joe loved when Rice explained — physically and verbally — how rushing the passer never starts with a read-and-react mentality.
“I’m always throwing my fastball at your head,” Rice lectured, adding that allows an edge rusher to always know how the offensive lineman will react.
“And off that you got all your changeups, all your options,” Rice continued. “You can create things up on the fly. You got your pivots to the inside, you got your spin moves to the inside, spin moves to the outside, you ghost moves … you got all of that and it all comes off of that tempo.”
Rice really got into detailed hand work with Diaby and talked to him about how every inch of efficiency is what leads to making plays and greatness. “All of the nanoseconds is your sacks,” he said.
Always a philosopher, Rice sort and emphasizing to Diaby that offseason work is what makes a career and how he needs to be “unapologetically confident at what you want to become.”
Rice finished off counseling Diaby on working after practice and finding a partner, preferably an offensive lineman, to work with. “It depends on how great you want to be,” he said.
July 20th, 2025 at 1:09 pm
Is there a pass rush univ like Tight End U? Diaby should have been talking to Rice the day after we drafted him.
July 20th, 2025 at 1:35 pm
Yes. It’s that “Von Miller’s Pass Rush Summit.” It’s kind of a big-deal. Yaya has been there the last two-years, I think!? I wasn’t aware of any major (‘famous’) “TE-camps” out there, but I’m sure there are prob a handful of them.
July 20th, 2025 at 1:38 pm
This is the NFL biggest head scratcher,
How can an Edge Rusher have 70 QB pressures
But only 4.5 sacks
I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life
July 20th, 2025 at 2:34 pm
Yaya needs to breakthrough this year. Defense will be elite once he catches fire.
Fingers crossed.
July 20th, 2025 at 2:40 pm
GO BUCS
July 20th, 2025 at 2:44 pm
What a great coaching session from Rice! I feel like I could practice what he taught there and get some sacks!
Probably I’d need to gain 100 or so pounds first. 😉
July 20th, 2025 at 3:10 pm
A lot of times, the best to ever play a position,like Simeon Rice or Michael Jordan are not good teachers BUT it’s obvious YaYa is hearing things from #97 THE GREAT Simeon Rice he has NEVER heard before so if the young man has the capacity to utilize what Simeon is telling him LOOKOUT NFL & QBs BEWARE
🚩🏴☠️🚩🧨💣🧨‼️
July 20th, 2025 at 3:17 pm
BucsFanSince1996, you reckon 100 pounds or so would be enough? I bet you might need to add a bit of strength too. And maybe some speed to go with it? Other than that I think you should be good!
July 20th, 2025 at 3:50 pm
Does Simeon have zero interest in coaching? Not sure why the Bucs haven’t investigated, perhaps they have.
July 20th, 2025 at 5:41 pm
Yaya Diaby and Hassan Reddick will each have 12+ sacks this year.
July 20th, 2025 at 5:41 pm
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I always thought they should bring in ex-pkayers for tutorials. Dwight Freeney always comes to mind. Talk about the best spin move ever.
July 20th, 2025 at 5:55 pm
Lakeland, I’m almost certain most Edge Rushers finish with more pressure than actual sacks.
Watt had 11.5 sacks last season and 31 pressures.
Parsons had 12 sacks but finished with 70 QB pressures last year.
Yaya’s been knocking on the door, hopefully what he’s learned this off-season and how he’s taken care of himself physically is enough for him to start kicking that same door in.
It’d be cool if we can get more Simeon Rice during camp. Pretty sure everyone from Reddick to Ramirez in that OLB room can learn something from one of the best defensive ends to ever do it.
July 20th, 2025 at 5:57 pm
It sounds like an impressive encounter!
July 20th, 2025 at 6:54 pm
That was a great piece, just watched it. Barber with Baker was good too. You’re right Joe, lousy D line coaching. Let’s hope Strong does a better job.
July 20th, 2025 at 7:02 pm
Erik… like your thinking.
The big difference maker = Reddick on the other side vs JTS.
July 20th, 2025 at 7:42 pm
Simeon – always the character…
“You a 4.5 guy right? I was 4.37…” LOL
That was a great little get together they had – I think YaYa absolutely got something valuable out of that mini training session.
July 20th, 2025 at 7:53 pm
And btw – just a reminder of how under-appreciated Simeon Rice is/was:
Jason Taylor – 139.5 sacks in 233 games – 1st ballot HOFer
Simeon Rice – 122 sacks in 174 games – can’t even get into the HOF conversation
July 20th, 2025 at 11:55 pm
This quote
“ Rice was coaching up Diaby and, frankly, it sure seemed like Diaby has not been getting the level of intstruction Rice provided since being drafted in 2023.”
Says it all about Todd. The whole defense looks stagnated to regressing. Nice job as DC, Todd.
July 21st, 2025 at 12:19 am
Now i am dying to know who was Simion’s workout after practice partner!
Cool stuff Joe!
Coaching deficiency for a team with an anemic pass rush for the last couple of years? That kind of makes me wonder Joe. We let two respected coaches go elsewhere last year. I have some suspicions that one or both were not getting it done. Putting Foote back at OLB coach by many accounts was an effort to improve the pass rush? Diaby needs coaching?
Go Bucs!
July 21st, 2025 at 9:10 am
I like how Rice gave credit to good coaches who helped prepare the players/team. Rice offered to work with Yaya anytime he wants. Hopefully, Yaya takes him up on it.
July 21st, 2025 at 9:30 am
dictate, that’s right. in almost all defenses in sports. true as basketball defender too.
July 21st, 2025 at 10:32 am
I just hope YaYa follows up with reaching out to Rice and Rice keeps his word. If so, look out.
July 21st, 2025 at 1:17 pm
Diaby…Spence, Hall, JTS, Braswell….you’d think you might want to change it up after continuing to fail at developing an edge rusher
July 21st, 2025 at 1:37 pm
Aqualung correct about
HC. Trying. J Dean. Yaya. Miscommunication since BradyBucs loss year 2. “ miis-communication Todd’ s favorite way to deflect any responsibility .
Exotic blitzes. Nah just crappy base and 3rd down defensive plans
July 21st, 2025 at 2:29 pm
wow that simeon video was something else…!
simeon has it all…and down to a science…a master…
yaya has so much work to do – the bucs should have simeon consulting with him and working with him regularly – it all can’t be grasped in a couple random meet ups…
quite honestly simeon might be a more natural physical specimen for the edge than diaby….he’s a longer, leaner and quicker type…but yaya isn’t that far behind…or maybe he is…
simeon looks like he could probably get 8 sacks for us this season, just on his skills and mentality alone…wow 🙂
July 21st, 2025 at 3:34 pm
I hope Hassan, Kancey, Vita and our 2nd rounder from Bama taking notes too. Have Rice teach them often
July 21st, 2025 at 8:00 pm
I watched that this morning and it was great to see like we should probably check in to see about S. Rice as a defensive end Coach. Really was impressing Yaya with his knowledge and was doing a great job at explaining and expressing everything to feeling your opponent to the mentality you should bring like the philosophies that he had I hope those two continue working together. It was really nice to see watching the old school bring up the new guys and passing that old school player to em