Defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is expected to be a Warren Sapp-type player for the Bucs.

So who better to learn the position from than Sapp himself?

Sapp spent time with McCoy teaching him some basics one day in June at One Buc Place.

"Everything he showed me, I just went and worked on it," McCoy said following his first workout with the Bucs. "I worked on it and worked on it. I'm going to try and perfect it. He showed me a lot of minor things. He said personally, he can't do it in one summer. We're going to have to keep working and keep working to get to where he thinks I can be, just like he did. He just kept working and eventually he got better until he was unstoppable. That's kind of where he wants me to be, but he says it's going to take time.

"He said you've got to go out there with no fear and you've got to have a plan."

Certainly, the Bucs have big plans for McCoy, their first-round pick, after signing him to a five-year, $63 million contract with $35 million guaranteed. He went to work later that day.

For McCoy, it was his first chance to put on the pads and play what he called "real football" since the Sooners beat Stanford 31-27 in the Sun Bowl.

"The money is there," McCoy said. "But like I always tell my family, 'the money is for you guys.' I work hard to take care of my family. My goal is to be the best football player I can be. I want to be in the Hall of Fame, I want to be in the Pro Bowl, I want to be known as one of the best ever. That's what I want to do."

It'll be McCoy's job to give opposing quarterbacks some restless nights as he is thrust into the most vital position of the Bucs' defense. McCoy's playful demeanor off the field belies the beast within that he unleashes between the white lines.

"That first play? I made contact, locked my man out, chased the ball and I said, 'Hey, time to play again,'" McCoy said. "And it felt good. Like I told you guys a long time ago, something happens to me. A lot of guys think I'm too nice. But when I step on the field, even though I'm not out there rowdy and just talking noise to people, I just turn into a different type of guy."

The comparisons to Sapp are inevitable for McCoy. He knows how unfair it is to chase ridiculous numbers that will land Sapp in the Hall of Fame one day. But rather than run from it, McCoy embraces the challenge.

That's why he was so humbled that Sapp took the time to drive down from his home in Orlando to work with him.

"It was something I didn't just take for granted," McCoy said. "I took it all in and I cherished those few moments we had because that's not something everybody gets. He's out here, he took out of his time, out of his way. He drove down here. He didn't even make me come to him. He drove down here to meet me, so that was real nice of him to do that."

CAMP CALENDER
The Bucs reported to training camp at One Buc Place July 30. Their first workout was Saturday, July 31. The Bucs will have a total of seven workouts open to the public, including one at Raymond James Stadium Saturday, Aug. 7. The Bucs break training camp Aug. 18 and return to once a day practices.

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