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Bucs CB Talib limited in practice; returner Smith full go

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By IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune
and ANWAR RICHARDSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 4, 2009

Updated: 11/04/2009 04:11 pm

TAMPA - Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib's absence from the early part of practice Wednesday was injury related.

Talib was limited in practice because of an ankle injury, Coach Raheem Morris said.

Also limited was left guard Jeremy Zuttah, by a shoulder injury.

Neither player's status for Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers is certain, but the injuries were not categorized as serious.

Pro Bowl kick returner Clifton Smith does expect to play Sunday after missing the Oct. 25 game against the New England Patriots in London. Smith said Wednesday he owns a daily reminder of the vicious hit he suffered Oct. 18 that produced a concussion.

Smith experienced a concussion when Panthers safety Dante Wesley inflicted a violent blow while Smith was attempting to field a punt. The NFL suspended Wesley one game and Smith missed the following game against New England in London.

"I feel perfectly fine – I'm back to normal,'' said Smith, who is expected to play Sunday at home against Green Bay. "Nothing has been bothering me at all. I think it was the right decision to hold me out. I still had some headaches going on. I watch the video of the play all the time. There was a big picture in the paper the next day of me lying on the ground. I posted that up on my bedroom wall so I never forget it.''

Smith is averaging 8.8 yards per punt return and he has returned 17 kickoffs for a 27.9 average. He is hoping to spark the winless Bucs past the heavily favored Packers and prove he is fully recovered from a jarring collision with Wesley that prompted both sidelines to empty out on the field.

"Everybody blacks out once in a while playing this game,'' said Smith. "You feel just like Byron Leftwich said, you leave the Earth for a minute. It's definitely an experience that you never forget and you hope it never happens again. You've got to move forward from there and continue to play this game.''

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