Shaun King found the perfect antidote to a weekend across the world.
Kool-Aid.
When the Bucs returned to practice Tuesday, many were still trying to find their footing after a whirlwind trip to Japan for the exhibition opener against the Jets.
When King got back Sunday, he jumped right in bed with the remote control and his favorite beverage.
"That was the big thing, resting," King said. "I laid in my bed and watched TV and had me a big glass of Kool-Aid next to the bed. I mean, that's living."
King said that while he enjoyed Japan, the accommodations were, well, not accommodating enough.
"We had these twin-sized futons over there about this high off the ground (King held his hand about 12 inches from the grass), and when the people come to your room to do your massage, they do it right there on the futon. So that tells you how hard they were.
"There ain't nothing like being in your own bed."
Coach Jon Gruden canceled practice Monday, giving his players an extra day of rest to help the Bucs in their recovery from jet lag. Tuesday, they returned to the two-a-day grind.
"It didn't feel like starting all over again; it feels good to be back out there," free safety Dwight Smith said. "It just feels like a little time warp, that's about it. I feel good, though the mind and body might not be here."
That will come with time, wide receiver Keenan McCardell says. He figured if the morning practice didn't get everyone back on Eastern Standard Time, then by the end of the afternoon session every Buc would be straight.
"You have to get your clock right, your time clock," he said. "Everybody's doing that right now. We were back home Sunday, probably this afternoon everybody will be feeling really good. I think it takes a lot out of you to go across the country for four days and come back and stay right in training camp. We're looking forward to some more reps and we'll do a little more running around out here and I think that will get our time clocks right."
