TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Victory Is Sweet For Former Bucs

ADVERTISEMENT

By IRA KAUFMAN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 22, 2007

DETROIT - While Detroit's head coach downplayed how special the moment was, his players were eager to celebrate the occasion.

Facing the Bucs for the first time after a golden decade as their defensive line coach, Rod Marinelli ended up with a ricocheting game ball following Sunday's 23-16 triumph that improved the Lions to 4-2.

Quarterback Jon Kitna initially awarded the ball to ex-Bucs defensive end Dewayne White, who quickly forwarded it to Marinelli.

'Yeah, there was extra juice for me out there today,' said White, who posted eight tackles and registered all three of Detroit's sacks against Jeff Garcia. 'It's my former team. You want to do well, and I feel blessed I was able to have a good day against them. It feels real good, and I can't describe it. I left it all on the field, and I feel satisfied.'

In Detroit's two-week buildup heading into this emotional matchup, Marinelli insisted Tampa Bay was just another opponent.

His son-in-law, Lions defensive coordinator Joe Barry, knew better.

'I'd be lying if I said this game wasn't different,' said Barry, who served six years as Tampa Bay's linebackers coach. 'It was special, and it was sweet. We're right in the beginning stages of something special here in Detroit. We're just happy to win games right now.'

White, who signed with the Lions as an unrestricted free agent, had leveled off since earning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for a dynamic season opener at Oakland.

'I think White had one sack coming into this game, and he had a coming-out party today,' said Bucs defensive end Greg Spires. 'I hate that it was against us.'

Marinelli, who won only three games as a rookie NFL coach in 2006, received a postgame Gatorade shower, along with a wet football.

'The biggest thing for me, honestly, I want to get this franchise turned around,' he said. 'My focus is on that, and my focus is on this team. We've got to keep finding a way to win a game, and we still have to play better. When we get that done, I'll be a happy man.'

When the game ended, White, Barry and Marinelli found themselves surrounded by former Bucs teammates and coaches.

Barry sought out Bucs outside linebacker Ryan Nece, who has lost his starting job to free agent Cato June, and offered a hug and some words of encouragement.

Bucs safety Jermaine Phillips congratulated White for his relentless effort, while Marinelli quickly turned his thoughts toward next week's game at Chicago.

'Before the season started, if you had asked people in this town whether we'd have four wins after six weeks, you wouldn't have found anyone,' Barry said. 'Dewayne White set the tone today. Knowing what he was like as a rookie in Tampa, I've seen him grow into a man.'

Garcia had been dropped only five times in the first six games before White worked over offensive tackles Jeremy Trueblood and Donald Penn.

'We played exactly like Coach wanted us to,' White said. 'We had a system where we knew where Garcia was going to escape to and we cornered him. The Lions believed in me - that's why I'm here. This game was more important than any personal thing, but you want to beat them Bucs and show them this is what you missed.'

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT