Tykee Smith Has Strong Words About Rookie Defensive Backs
June 11th, 2025
Curious choices.
So Tykee Smith had some interesting choices.
The likely Bucs starting safety — though the second-year man out of Georgia admitted yesterday he is still working at nickel corner — Smith was asked who on defense has been practicing well.
Smith could have rattled off all sorts of names. You know, Antoine Winfield, Lavonte David, Jamel Dean, Zyon McCollum, SirVocea Dennis.
Nope. He didn’t mention any of them.
He went with rookies, Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish.
“I think Ben [Morrison] has been standing out,” Smith said. “I think ‘J.P.’ [Jacob Parrish] stood out also.”
Now that was an odd choice. The rookies are out-practicing everyone else on defense?
“They’re just younger guys that we’re going to need to rely on this season,” Smith said. “So we just need them to keep coming along and keep stacking days.”
Smith is a good guy as in he’s an excellent team guy. Joe has a hunch Smith citing Morrison and Parrish was an attempt to let the two rookies know they are part of the team — that they are welcomed into the Bucs family and they only need to worry about football and their teammates will have their backs with anything.
Hey, it’s not like coaches and players ever send messages through the media. Nah! #Sarcasm
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