What's Tampa Bay Saying?

Bucs Not Blacked Out: Are You Glad?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sold enough tickets to have Sunday's home game shown on local TV for the first time this season. Bucs fans, do you think the NFL's blackout rule is fair?

Good news, Tampa Bay Buccnaeers fans: This weekend's game won't be blacked out on local TV. The Bucs' home game against the New Orleans Saints at 1 p.m. Sunday will be shown in the Tampa market, TBO.com reports. That's the first time this season a Bucs home game won't be blacked out. The team sold the required 85 percent of general admission tickets necessary to avoid the blackout of the Sunday's game at Raymond James Stadium, the team announced Thursday. The Bucs failed to sell out each of their first three regular-season home games this season and 16 of their previous 18, TBO reports. Sunday's game will air locally on Fox 13. Are you looking forward to watching Sunday's game? How have you been dealing with all the Bucs' blackouts the …

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Tell Your Breast Cancer Survival Story to the Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are searching for inspirational stories of breast cancer survival from individuals in the community.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are seeking inspirational stories of overcoming the disease. On October 14, when the Buccaneers host the Kansas City Chiefs, one fan’s story will be featured as part of the team’s breast cancer awareness commemoration at Raymond James Stadium. That afternoon, the nominee will be named an honorary captain and accompany the Buccaneers on the field for the opening coin toss. The nominee who wins will also receive VIP luxury suite access for themselves and three guests. To share a story of inspiration, click here or visit www.buccaneers.com/BCAstory and complete the online form. Throughout October, NFL games will feature players, coaches and referees wearing pink game …

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TELL US: What Makes a Good Neighbor?

National Good Neighbor Day is Sept. 28. Share your stories about the neighbors who make your town a great place to live.

A good neighbor comes in many forms. It may be someone who keeps an eye on your kids when they’re playing outside or someone who pet sits for you when your family is on vacation. Some even go above and beyond to make your community a great place to live by picking up trash in neighborhood parks or volunteering to start youth programs at the local library. Celebrate the people who make your community thrive by honoring them on National Good Neighbor Day on Sept. 28. Here's one recent example of a good neighbor in Clearwater: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Leonard Johnson is giving back to the North Greenwood neighborhood where he grew up by helping to create a new community football field.  The concept of National Good Neighbor Day began in the …

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Hometown Bucs Player Realizes His Dream

Leonard Johnson, who grew up playing football for the Greenwood Panthers, has cracked his first NFL roster with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

For Leonard Johnson, playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers isn't just a dream come true — it's a homecoming. Johnson, whose football career began with the Greenwood Panthers as a youth and continued at Largo High before he starred at Iowa State, has cracked the hometown Bucs' initial 53-man roster. “I am excited just to be back home,” Johnson told JoeBucsFan.com earlier this week. The cornerback, signed as an undrafted free agent this spring, went to Bucs games as a kid and attended Bucs coach Greg Schiano’s local football camps while in high school. Now, he may be seeing lots of action for Schiano in the Bucs' secondary, especially with E.J. Biggers and Anthony Gaitor contending with nagging injuries, JoeBucsFan.com reports. Johnson's feel…

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers Break Ground in North Greenwood

Leonard Johnson, a member of the Buccaneers who grew up playing for the Greenwood Panthers, was on hand for the groundbreaking of the Clearwater team’s field Tuesday.

Once it was overflow parking for Jack Russell Stadium. Now, it could be the field of the next homegrown hero. Greenwood Panthers players ran routes and caught passes from Buccaneers like Josh Freeman, Gerald McCoy and Connor Barth on Tuesday as part of a groundbreaking ceremony for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Field. But no name in this part of town is bigger than Leonard Johnson. The field is one of two being built on the former parking lot sandwiched between the North Greenwood Recreation and Aquatics Complex and the North Greenwood Library. Johnson, who grew up just a few passes from the new field, came up as a star quarterback at Largo High and went on to an illustrious college career at Iowa State. He is a rookie this year with the Bucs …

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North Greenwood Ballfields to be Named After Bucs

The North Greenwood ballfields will be named in honor of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A groundbreaking ceremony is planned for Tuesday, Sept. 4.

One field is nearly ready and the groundbreaking for another is on the way. When both pieces of the North Greenwood recreation valhalla is complete it also will feature a new name - Tampa Bay Buccaneers Field. Sure the team plays at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, however, the $300,000 cost for the field in Clearwater's hardscrabble North Greenwood neighborhood is partially funded through a grant from the NFL and Clearwater for Youth. The project added lights, irrigation, dirt, grass and uprights to a former parking lot near Jack Russell Stadium. The groundbreaking ceremony is planned for Sept. 4. Just about a year from when it was brought up at the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the new field adjacent to the the recently expanded …

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Clearwater's Johnson Battling for Spot With Bucs

The former Largo High school standout and undrafted free agent is trying to crack the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' roster during training camp.

Largo High grad Leonard Johnson is fighting for a spot on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 53-man roster now that training camp is under way. The Clearwater native, who starred as Largo's starting quarterback for for years before suiting up for Iowa State, was signed by the Bucs as an undrafted free agent in May. Now he's looking to make his professional dreams come true as a cornerback, TBO.com reports. A leg injury to E.J. Biggers has given Johnson a shot at more practice reps this summer as he tries to crack the Bucs' opening day roster. "I can close my eyes and see my mom (Schenique) at the stadium Sept. 9, rooting me on,'' the 22-year-old told TBO. "I already see it. It's already in my vision and I'm walking toward it every day.'' Johnson …

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Ex-Buc Donnie Abraham Named Clearwater High Coach in Waiting

The former Tampa Bay Bucaneers cornerback and current Tampa Bay Storm defensive backs coach is named the head coach in waiting for the Tornadoes football program.

Former Tampa Bay Bucaneers cornerback Donnie Abraham is the head coach in waiting at Clearwater High School. Abraham will take over for head coach Tom Bostic, who will end his 30-year coaching career after this season. Interest in the job garnered more than 40 applicants from all over the country, including from high school, college and professional ranks, according to a letter sent to boosters from Principal Keith Mastorides. The decision to go with Abraham, who coached football programs at Gibbs and East Lake high schools, was weighed by stakeholders including administrators, coaching staff, alumni and boosters, according to the letter. Abraham is expected to serve as an assistant varsity football coach for this upcoming season, with the…

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Tampa Bay Bucs Signee Fond of Clearwater Roots

Leonard Johnson, a Clearwater native, was recently signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and insists he hasn't forgotten his humble beginnings.

While the world was spinning for football star Leonard Johnson in May, it wasn't dizzying enough for him to lose sight of his North Greenwood roots. Johnson, who was Largo High School's starting quarterback for four years and later a star cornerback for Iowa State, was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent in early May.  "I threw a football camp down in North Greenwood and I had about 300 kids come out. I will throw another one sometime in July," Johnson said to Bucs reporters. "There was a streak of violence in the community, some murders, and we wanted to reach out to the kids in the community, so I reached out to my college teammates and friends I grew up with (to organize the camp). "The message was mostly for the …

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Bucs Interested in Former Clearwater Central Catholic, Miami Linebacker

Colin McCarthy, a former linebacker for Clearwater Central Catholic and the University of Miami, was one of 30 college players brought in to One Buc Place for an all-day interview and could be drafted by the Buccaneers tonight.

It's every young man's dream to play for the NFL team nearest his home. That very well may come true for former Clearwater Central Catholic and University of Miami linebacker Colin McCarthy. With the NFL draft underway and the second and third rounds in progress Friday night, it's not out of the realm of possibility that McCarthy could be drafted by an NFL team tonight, if not Saturday when the remainder of the NFL draft's seven rounds concludes. McCarthy was one of only 30 college players who were invited by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a full-day interview at the team's headquarters at One Buc Place, which speaks to the seriousness of the Bucs in acquiring McCarthy's talents. "I just got the opportunity to visit and meet the head coach […

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