Ex-Bulls Savor A (Long) Shot With Bucs

By MARTIN FENNELLY The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 4, 2008

They arrived at the University of South Florida five years ago. One stayed and one didn't. Both kept dreaming.

They've been reunited at Bucs rookie minicamp - undrafted, unsigned as free agents - long shots invited to try out, just like three dozen other college players. Bucs for a day, or two, or three.

It's easy to see them as mere bodies. A few of them might make it to training camp. The chances of making the regular-season roster lie on the border between Daunting and Forget It.

But there was no way to stop the smile on Walter Walker's face. The former USF offensive tackle grew up loving the Bucs.

"Somehow I ended up here. I have a Bucs helmet in my hand," he said.

There was no way to stop the smile on Ronnie McCullough's face. He's a Bucs fan from Tampa. After transferring from USF to get playing time, he became a star linebacker for Bethune-Cookman. He had 149 tackles his senior season, the most in Division I-AA. This might be tougher to tackle.

"But if you know me, you know this is big," McCullough said.

Growing Up A Sapp Fan

They've worked hard and listened to Bucs coach Jon Gruden and his staff. This is their shot.

Walker worked out for the Bucs before the draft. Other teams had called. The first question was always "How's the knee?" since Walker injured it during his senior season at USF. The last question they asked? Walker smiled.

"How's the knee?"

He says it's fine. He grew up in Jamaica, but the Bucs were his team, partly because his favorite colors were red and black and his favorite player was Warren Sapp.

Walker was a leader and a thinker at USF. He has thought about this chance.

"Even though some people might look at a tryout differently, my wife and I, we took a knee and prayed and thanked God for the opportunity."

Mark Dominik, Bucs director of pro personnel, says open tryouts are an NFL norm.

"This way you can indoctrinate these young kids into the system without having to use your veteran minicamp," he said. "Out of this group, I bet you three or four [tryout] guys get signed who'll have a chance at training camp."

But who sticks come the season? Who's history's greatest tryout success?

"You've got to give me a couple of seconds on that," Dominik said. "Can I call you or e-mail you? ... It is hard."

"I'm a Buc right now," Ronnie McCullough said.

At Hillsborough High, he played defense and shared an offensive backfield with one Elijah Dukes. He once met Derrick Brooks. Shelton Quarles spoke at his middle school.

"The Bucs, those were my guys," McCullough said.

His dreams go beyond the NFL. A communications major, he'd like to be a motivational speaker.

"I think I have a lot to share with kids," McCullough said.

He'll tell them about finding his grandmother, Helen Baker, shot dead on his front porch in Ybor City when he was 8. He'll tell them every day is precious.

Ronnie McCullough told you his favorite birthday present. His grandmother gave him a box of Kleenex. "Each time I pulled a tissue out, a dollar came out with it, dollar after dollar," he said.

Some days, dreams come true.

It's A Long Shot, But …

Mark Dominik talked about McCullough and Walter Walker:

"Part of the reason we brought them in is because on tape they were good-effort kids, and that's one of the things Jon wanted in this camp. He wants high tempo, high effort, and we thought those kids could do that."

"It's a long shot," Walter Walker said. "But it's closer than a lot of people will get."

For now, his position coach is named Bill Muir. His head coach is named Jon Gruden.

"It's something I can tell my kids about one day."

One day.