Bucs' Stevens Just Wants To Move On

Jerramy Stevens just wants to move on.

The Tampa Bay tight end knows many people will not allow that to happen. He understands his past follows him closer than any linebacker. He accepts that some people always will dislike him.

Stevens also knows he has no one else to blame.

"There is definitely nobody I can point my finger at. It's definitely my decisions that have led me to this situation," Stevens said Tuesday. "I've never ducked the fact that I've made some bad decisions. I've got to be able to, be allowed to go forward. And that's all I'm really asking for, a chance to go forward."

Stevens, 28, will have that in Tampa Bay this season, regardless of what his critics say.

The Bucs are not interested in Stevens' sexual assault charge, for which he was not prosecuted due to lack of evidence, while at the University of Washington in 2000.

They are not perturbed that Stevens was suspended for one game last season because of a March 2007 DUI conviction in Arizona, or that he will miss the first two regular-season games because of a league-mandated suspension.

Tampa Bay is concerned only with the Stevens who has avoided trouble since it first signed him as a free agent in 2007.

"It's the same people who rehash it," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said. "There are a lot of people who feel the same way I do. Have a little compassion. Some of these young guys don't come from the same backgrounds you or I come from. I've got confidence in him.

"We got an environment here that is really working for him. Players like him. Coaches like him. I think the media likes him. I think the fans like him. To keep bringing up what happened seven or eight years ago ... it's kind of done. I want the guy to flourish."

Stevens has done well since the Seattle Times chronicled his past in an article published in January, after the Bucs first-round playoff loss to the Giants. He did pay $300,000 to settle a civil suit in the matter. Stevens avoided questions from the media about the story, a vagueness some alleged was an admission of guilt. Stevens said it was quite the opposite.

"I thought it had passed. These were things I was dealing with in college, so why do I have to go back and defend myself against something that I didn't agree with then?" Stevens said. "Now I'm supposed to address it like something's changed? That was upsetting for me, so I just wasn't going to do it."

When the team re-signed Stevens in late May, it sparked an outcry among fans, who called into local radio shows to voice their displeasure. Days later, Stevens addressed the media for about 10 minutes, saying his trouble was behind him and he had learned from his mistakes.

Stevens also was disturbed because some treated his family differently after the article. His parents, brother and sister are teachers in Seattle, and all had to deal with questions and sarcastic comments at work and around the city, Stevens said.

"My family knows me. They have been around this situation and, unfortunately, have been dragged though this," Stevens said. "That is the only thing I ever really felt bad about. I'm a man and I can make it, but it's unfortunate that my family has been forced to deal with some of the bad that goes along with it.

"I'm living and learning. I can look everybody that I love and know in the eye."

Stevens is more concerned about seeing another successful season.

Stevens (6-foot-7, 260 pounds) had 18 receptions for 189 yards and four touchdowns for the Bucs last season. He caught the winning touchdown on the road against New Orleans last season, which essentially sealed the NFC South title. Stevens accomplished those feats despite not being comfortable with Tampa Bay's playbook until Week 6.

With a season under his belt, Stevens is optimistic he can be as productive as during his five-year tenure in Seattle.

"I was always a starter there and I was going to get in on all the plays," Stevens said. "Now we have a bunch of tight ends that are really, really talented, so we're mixing up our personnel groupings and utilizing them where they best fit.

"I hope to make a huge impact in the red zone. I know I'm going to get a lot of opportunities in the red zone and that's a huge part of our offense that needs to pick up."

Gruden said he plans to give Stevens offensive opportunities this season, mostly because of his size and pass-catching ability, meaning there is a chance for him to have a breakout year.

"Week 3, we'll have a plan for him and we'll just leave it at that," Gruden said. "I'm proud of him and I also want to make sure he stays right on schedule with what he's doing. He understands that."

He also understands the importance of not looking backward.

Stevens knows no matter how many positive steps he takes, his enemies will focus on the negatives.

No matter what, Stevens is moving on.

"People are going to do what they are going to do," he said. "That is the way our culture is. I understand that, but it doesn't affect the way that I feel day to day."