New-look Bucs get ready for preseason opener

The Buccaneers open preseason play Friday night when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers. For the rookies, stepping onto an NFL field for the first time is a pretty big deal. Bucs head coach Todd Bowles played eight NFL seasons, seven of them with Washington. He remembers his first-ever preseason game as a rookie in 1986. "My first preseason game actually was against Tampa Bay. I got a pick-six off of Steve DeBerg, so that helped me make the team pretty good," Bowles laughed after Wednesday's practice. "I do remember it because it was storming and raining, and we couldn’t get out of the airport that night. We had to stay overnight and then fly out the next day. I’m always fond of Tampa that way." Bowles is eager to hit the field with a roster that includes 27 rookies. "It’s exciting—as a rookie, it’ll be exciting. It’s a matter of who manages their emotions well and who can play under the lights."