'Cause no one says it quite like Bucs defensive end Simeon Rice.
"I feel like this is cultivating from a character standpoint. Everything about you becomes more predisposed to be positive once you come out of these desperate situations."
POP QUIZ
So, you think you know the Bucs, eh? See if you can match each of these 12 prominent Tampa Bay players with his alma mater.
1. Punter Josh Bidwell
A. Utah
B. Wisconsin
C. Oregon
D. Arizona
2. Kicker Martin Gramatica
A. Kansas State
B. Kansas
C. South Florida
D. Oklahoma State
3. Safety Dwight Smith
A. Austin Peay
B. Ohio State
C. Indiana
D. Akron
4. Running back Michael Pittman
A. Arizona State
B. California
C. Fresno State
D. Washington
5. Linebacker Jeff Gooch
A. Marshall
B. Austin Peay
C. Mississippi
D. Akron
6. Linebacker Ian Gold
A. Michigan State
B. Michigan
C. Penn State
D. Ohio State
7. Left tackle Derrick Deese
A. Fresno State
B. California
C. Southern Cal
D. UCLA
8. Center John Wade
A. Marshall
B. Miami-Ohio
C. West Virginia
D. Virginia Tech
9. Receiver Charles Lee
A. Florida State
B. Miami
C. Central Florida
D. South Florida
10. Tight end Ken Dilger
A. Purdue
B. Illinois
C. Iowa
D. Wisconsin
11. Defensive tackle Chartric Darby
A. Clemson
B. North Carolina State
C. South Carolina State
D. South Carolina
12. Defensive tackle Ellis Wyms
A. Maine
B. Mississippi State
C. Mississippi
D. Alabama
Pop quiz answers: 1. C; 2. A; 3. D; 4. C; 5. B; 6. B; 7. C; 8. A; 9. C; 10. B; 11. C; 12. B.Making the grade: 10-12 correct - Touchdown!; 7-9 correct - Hmmm, wasn't that the Bucs record last season?; 4-6 correct - Um, better buy a program; less than 4 correct - The NHL lockout can't last forever.SMALL WORLD
Today's game could easily pass for the UF reunion. The Bucs have right tackle Kenyatta Walker and practice squad running back Earnest Graham. The Bears have defensive end Alex Brown, defensive tackle Ian Scott, safety Todd Johnson and quarterback Rex Grossman, who is on injured reserve with a knee injury. All were Gators between 1997 and 2002 and all started the 2001 Suger Bowl except Scott, who played as a backup.
STRIKE A POSE
Tight end Will Heller received some unsolicited criticism from friends and relatives after his impromptu touchdown celebration on Monday Night Football. Though not as flamboyant as Eagles receiver Terrell Owens, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound Heller conveyed his excitement by striking a muscleman pose.
"I was just living in the moment, trying to have a little fun out there," said Heller, who caught a 1-yard pass from quarterback Brian Griese. "There's a lot of critics out there. Some people said I need to work on my choreography, but we'll see."
Stay tuned. Heller said he likely will come up with something new for his next touchdown.
QUOTABLE
"Yeah, it's the old Boston Red Sox mentality." - receiver Tim Brown on the Bucs' chances of winning the rest of their games after a 1-5 start
