Rookie CB Ben Morrison.

Benjamin Morrison vowed to step up.

Yesterday, on Day 1 of Bucs Training Camp 2025, Morrison was baptized into the NFL and the minister was none other than the Reverend Michael Evans.

The future Hall of Fame receiver took Morrison to church on Day 1 of training camp. Evans had Morrison on his heels when Evans, maybe as quick as Joe has ever seen him, jerked to Morrison’s inside when Morrison was on his heels on an inside slant.

Evans then reached out with those big paws of his and plucked a Baker Mayfield right out of the air. Morrison had no chance, *no* chance.

As Joe typed, Morrison likely then realized he was no longer facing some slappie from Stanford who Morrison will hire to do his taxes.

Welcome to the NFL, Mr. Notre Dame.

Today after practice, Morrison was asked about facing Evans. The play in question was not referenced in the question. It didn’t have to be. But Morrison sure seemed to reference it.

And Morrison added, that’s how he’s going to learn how to play solid corner in the NFL, by learning how to face guys like Evans.

“It’s everything you want,” Morrison said of crossing paths with Evans on a football field. “You can either step up or back down.

“I think [anytime squaring up against Evans] it is an opportunity. You get to go against a great every single day. … Mike… is top-three every single year for a reason.”

In OTAs and minicamp, it seemed the Bucs had training wheels on Morrison. And likely for good reason. He’s had hip issues, including surgergy, and had shoulder surgery as well. This is why he likely slipped to the second round, where the Bucs pounded.

After taking a tumble where he landed on his surgically-repaired him today, Morrison said that was a sign he has fully recovered.

“I feel like I am back to myself,” Morrison said. “This is the best I have ever felt since before [his injuries] and surgery.

“You don’t take [football] for granted anymore. Reps you used to take for granted, you don’t.”

Morrison even joked (?) that now, he even takes mental reps standing on the sidelines seriously now.

As for Morrison dusting himself off after getting cleaned by Evans, no shame in that. Joe vividly remembers how badly Evans fried mouthy Jalen Ramsey in a playoff game. It happens.