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Piscitelli Racing To Catch Up To Competition

Tribune photo by CLIFF McBRIDE

Sabby Piscitelli closes in on Earnest Graham during Tuesday's morning's practice session.

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By ROY CUMMINGS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 13, 2008

LAKE BUENA VISTA - Bucs safety Sabby Piscitelli was only 5 years old when his mother got her first glimpse of his ultra-competitive nature.

"He'd go around the neighborhood here in Boca Raton asking kids to race him," Diane Piscitelli said. "The problem was, he was asking kids twice his age, so he had a tendency to lose - a lot.

"But losing just made him angry and more determined, so he'd ask them to race again. He'd beg them, in fact, and when they did he usually lost again. But that's Sabby. He's just very, very competitive."

Don't think the Bucs haven't noticed. Last year, after a foot injury knocked him out of action for the season after three games, Piscitelli continued to act as if he was an active roster member.

"He'd come in and watch tape, take in practice and get in some of what we call mental reps," Bucs secondary coach Raheem Morris said. "I mean, he could have given up at that point, but he didn't. And now it's paying off."

Don't be misled. Piscitelli hasn't won his latest race. Not yet. He does appear to be in the lead, however.

After nearly three weeks of training camp drills and one exhibition game, the second-year pro out of Oregon State has emerged as the leading candidate to win the final spot in what figures to be a three-man rotation at safety.

It's a job that lands the winner a chance to play up to 20 snaps a game as a backup to starters Jermaine Phillips and Tanard Jackson, and Piscitelli is accustomed to leading the race for it.

He was winning it last year and was about to be inserted into the safety rotation when he broke his foot carrying out a special teams assignment against the Rams in Week 3.

That injury knocked Piscitelli out of the race for playing time and onto the injured-reserve list, but he responded to the setback in much the same way he responded to those kids who used to outrun him on the streets of Boca Raton.

"He came back strong and even more determined, it seemed," Morris said. "It's like he wasn't going to be denied, and it's been fun to watch him this year. I mean, he's been out here making a lot of plays."

He made several standout plays during a stretch of workouts last week, including one in which he jumped and made an interception during a red-zone drill.

He's also made some impact plays against the run, and he did what the Bucs wanted him to do most last Saturday when he carried that level of play into their preseason game against the Dolphins.

Piscitelli walked away from that 17-6 Bucs victory with a share of the team lead in tackles with four and displayed not only good range in coverage, but also an ability to make a physical impact.

"We saw some of that flash from him last week," Morris said. "Now I'm looking to see more. He's got to keep it going, so that's the big test for him this week. Can he do it consistently?"

Consistency seldom has been a problem for Piscitelli. He never missed a practice, let alone a game, while in college and left Oregon State with the second most picks in school history (15).

All that changed not long after he arrived in Tampa. Piscitelli missed some time in camp last year with a sore hamstring, then suffered the foot injury. He even missed a few days this year with a mild leg ailment.

Whenever he has been on the field, though, Piscitelli always has been an impact player. Of course, if he's going to make an impact this year, he'll first have to make up some lost ground. That at least is how Piscitelli sees it.

"I've got some catching up to do," he said. "I missed almost a whole year and so I'm really just excited to be out here running around and playing football again."

Piscitelli isn't the only one who's excited. The Bucs are, too. Piscitelli has helped make their safety position as deep and talented as it's ever been.

And with the likes of former starter Will Allen and Donte Nicholson pushing Piscitelli for that third rotation spot, the battle for jobs is as competitive as it's ever been.

It's so competitive that not even Phillips and Jackson are assured of starting anymore. They probably will, but Piscitelli is doing everything he can to run them down.

"It's a new year and a new competition, and the way I see it, if you're not here to start you shouldn't even be here," Piscitelli said. "So, when my number is called, I'm going to try to put myself in a position where they can't keep me off the field."

Reporter Roy Cummings can be reached at (813) 259-7979 or

rcummings@tampatrib.com.

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