Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ross Cockrell has day to remember

Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran cornerback Ross Cockrell had a day he won’t soon forget today during training camp, with the help of his sister Anna, and his Buccaneers teammates.

Cockrell has been around the block. A bit of a journeyman, Cockrell has played for five teams since entering the NFL in 2014 and has never played for one team for more than two seasons. Cockrell has also been a part of Bucs fans’ lives since 2019 when he was a member of the division-rival Carolina Panthers for a season before coming to Tampa just in time to get himself a Super Bowl ring in 2020.

Entering his second training camp with the Buccaneers, Cockrell is a veteran presence in a young and talented, and also very deep, cornerback room.  He’s certainly doing all he can to stick out though, and today Cockrell had a day of days, and it’s still early.

Before practice commenced for the Bucs, the team got together and watched Cockrell’s sister, Anna, attempt to qualify for the women’s 400m hurdle’s at the Olympics. She did, and the team, especially Cockrell, were elated. Not a bad gene pool in that family. You can watch the moment here courtesy of the Buccaneers’ official Twitter account:

Cockrell followed this up by recording not one, not two, but THREE interceptions during that day’s practice. When asked about thrice intercepting passes in his area right after his sister’s special day, Cockrell said that “I was just feeling the magic she had. I think she passed it on to me.”

Ever the humble one, Cockrell also talked about how Anna was nervous about her race, with Cockrell telling his Olympian sister “Just breathe, do it and let your light shine.” The light was certainly shining on the Cockrell family today, and time will tell how much of this magic and light will follow Cockrell for the rest of camp and into the 2021 season. For now, he should simply enjoy this special day for his family.