Bucs receiver Tim Brown will begin the season with 99 career touchdown receptions.
Preseason statistics are not official, so Bucs quarterback Brad Johnson looks forward to being a part of history once the regular season starts. Tim Brown, a likely Hall of Fame receiver, needs one touchdown catch to reach 100.
"I've got an unbelievable resume," Johnson said. "I got to throw Cris Carter's 100th TD pass. I got to throw Irving Fryer's last touchdown pass. I threw one of Andre Reed's last catches. I threw Randy Moss his first touchdown pass and I threw Warren Sapp his first touchdown pass. Hopefully, it will work with Tim Brown."
Johnson certainly likes what he's seen of Brown after just a few practices.
"Obviously, he knows the system," Johnson said of the receiver who played four seasons for coach Jon Gruden in Oakland. "The guy knows how to play. He's easy to communicate with. I've worked with a lot of veterans, a lot of older receivers. Maybe one day I'll get to play with Jerry Rice, too."
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Hopefully, we'll get some better weather back in Tampa."
- Bucs coach Jon Gruden
FRESH FACE: BILL SCHROEDER
POSITION: Receiver
HT./WT.: 6-3; 200
AGE: 33.
COLLEGE: Wisconsin-La Crosse
BACK IN THE DAY: Schroeder was an outstanding college track athlete, earning NCAA Division III All-America honors 17 times and winning titles in the triple jump in 1992 and long jump in 1993. He played one season of football at La Crosse, catching 30 passes for 752 yards and eight touchdowns.
TO MAKE THE TEAM: With Keenan McCardell holding out and Joe Jurevicius recovering from back surgery, Schroeder looks to play an important role early. A free-agent acquisition, Schroeder has speed and big-play ability. In nine seasons, he has 297 catches for 4,427 yards and 27 touchdowns.
LITTLE-KNOWN FACT: An avid golfer, Schroeder won a local qualifier of the 2001 RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship in Madison, Wis., with a drive of 357 yards.
QUOTE: "I'm coming in here hoping to make plays, help the young guys learn the system and just put depth on this team. Coach Gruden brought me in here for leadership as well, and hopefully I can bring that to the table, too. I wish I could have been here for the minicamp so I could be in the mix a lot sooner."
