Don’t overlook the Buccaneers final draft pick, USC defensive tackle Stevie Tu’ikolovatu.
As we go back and review the Buccaneers draft haul, we are reminded that not all of the NFL greats came on day one of the draft. We have heard at length about the Patriots quarterback selected number 199. Tom Brady is a future Hall of Famer, and he was selected at the end of the draft. Terrell Davis was another late pick, and some terrific football players weren’t even drafted. The end of the draft must not be overlooked.
It is with an eye on those facts that we turn our attention to the Bucs final pick of the draft. Jason Licht moved up to select Stevie Tu’ikolovatu out of USC to round out his draft selections, and he is a guy that is easy to root for. As James Yarcho and David Harrison talked about on the podcast, this young man lived with his wife out of his car so he could play for USC. He hadn’t received his housing stipend yet but still wanted to get in the program right away. That shows a burning desire to succeed that many don’t have.
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As David said during the show, don’t overlook players with that kind of passion. Players can be taught skills, they cannot be taught to have heart. Players with heart have a unique way of making their presence felt on their team, no matter where they come from.
Take a look at a guy like Damon Harrison for example. He wasn’t even drafted, signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent out of William Penn University. Nobody paid a lot of attention to him when he arrived in New York, and now he is a star. After four years with the Jets he moved across locker rooms to sign a mega deal with the Giants.
Now, I am not making that type of comparison yet as we haven’t seen Tu’kolovatu play yet. But, why can’t he help this team? Does the round really matter?
Let’s get to his college stats:
Folks, he moved to USC simply to get more football in. He was a graduate transfer because he wanted to up the level of coaching and the level of competition. Talk about a guy with the heart of a winner. Having heart can often override shortcomings, don’t be mistaken. It is possible to will yourself to success. Tu’ikolovatu is the type of guy that can do it.
He also has the family traits, if that means anything. His uncle is Sione Po’uha, who played defensive tackle for the Jets and had a seven-year career. Po’uha wasn’t a superstar but he was a solid player until his back issues ended his career.
When he moved over to USC, he mad a lot of tackles, but a lot of times, the work he does is not on the statistics sheet. He takes up multiple opponents along the offensive line, giving your edge players openings to make plays. Noah Spence and his friends could see a bump in their statistics with a guy like Tu’ikolovatu on the field.
At the Combine, he ran a 5.45 in the forty yard dash, which isn’t bad for a defensive lineman, especially one that measured at 6-1, 331 pounds. Let’s see how that translated into some game film, specifically a highlight package:
Right from the first play on this tape, you can see that he has brute strength. He takes one guy and basically throws him into next week to get to the ball. He clearly can get guys off of him quickly. Play after play, he removes his opponent from his path and gets to the ball carrier. Sometimes he is fighting through multiple opponents. The play against Penn State at around 2:40, Tu’ikolovatu fights through two opponents to make the stop.
He needs to be careful with those hands of his. He makes one stop a bit high, getting a personal foul call. Referees in the pros will not miss such a blatant facemask. But I love the fact that he can move quickly, both to catch a ball carrier and laterally along the line. This guy has wheels for a big man! He catches the quarterback of Penn State from behind. Move it big fella!
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Could he be simply a practice squad guy? Sure. But don’t count this guy out. He might sneak up on this roster and find a way onto it, despite the incumbent depth.