The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are sitting pretty at 4-1, but getting there hasn’t exactly been a smooth ride. Special teams blunders and a revolving door of injuries have tested this team weekly, yet they keep finding ways to win.
A big reason for that? Rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka has been absolutely electric since Week 1. The Ohio State product is leading the Rookie of the Year race and has quickly become the kind of difference-maker Tampa Bay desperately needed.
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Without his production, the Buccaneers probably aren’t sitting atop the standings right now.
During Sunday’s 38-35 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, Egbuka torched the defense for 163 yards. His performance caught the attention of Rob Gronkowski on FOX’s postgame show, where the former Bucs tight end attempted to give the rookie his flowers.
“You gotta give credit to this rookie sensation, wide receiver out of Ohio State, Emeka Egbigboo, going for over 100 yards,” Rob Gronkowski said on live TV.
The FOX NFL crew immediately burst into laughter. Gronk’s butchering of the name quickly made the rounds on social media, with fans having a field day.
One fan commented, “This had me crying 😭😭😭” while another wrote, “Gronk trying to pronounce Emeka Egbuka is hilarious 😂 not even close.”
Another chimed in with, “This will legit be the funniest thing you or I see today lmao 😂 fuckin gotta love Gronk 😂”
To be fair to Gronk, Egbuka wasn’t exactly a household name in Tampa Bay before draft night. Plenty of fans had to practice pronouncing it themselves when the Buccaneers made the pick.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) receives a pass against the New York Jets in the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
But that learning curve didn’t last long once he started torching defenses week after week. Now his name carries real weight around the league. Fans chant it, defenders game-plan around it, and apparently some broadcast legends still trip over it.
Those slips will disappear soon enough. With the season Egbuka is putting together, everyone will know exactly how to say his name by January.
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