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Gaines Adams Interview via NFL Players.com

By JScott

The NFL Players WebSite has recently done an interview with new Tampa Bay Buccaneers DE Gaines Adams. Here's a couple of the Q & A's:

Q: What do you think about going to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? A: It's a dream come true and a lot of hard work (has been) put into this. I'm a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, I'm glad. It was one of my (favorite) teams growing up and I'm ready to go to Coach Gruden and get it started.

Q: Leading up to the draft, how much did teams talk to you about player conduct issues? A: Well, I mean, they didn't talk to me about (it) that much because they did their history, they did their background check on me and I haven't been in any trouble. I'm not a troublemaker.

Q: How do you feel about being in the same division as Julius Peppers, somebody who you tried to pattern yourself after? A: Jules, he's a great player. He's a competitor, so I'll have to be better than him.

Q: There's been a lot of talk about your strength against the pass, but that you're not as strong against the run. What's your reaction to that assessment? A: Oh, no, I see myself as a four-down guy. I can go in and play. I can stop the run and I can sack the quarterback.

Q: You're going to be one of the guys leading the development of the Tampa Bay defense, the rebuilding of it. Talk about what type of task that is and are you excited about that? A: I know it's going to be a hard task, but I'm ready to get it started. I feel like I can do that and I will.

Jon Gruden had this to say about Gaines after this past weekends Rookie Mini Camp:

"I think he's going to be a leader in his own right, particularly with this class," Gruden said of the rookie defensive end. "He'll be a guy that if anybody falls out of line he'll be responsible. He'll take full responsibility for each one of these guys. He did show good effort, good finishing effort. I think the more shape he gets in the more you'll see him flash."

It's amazing when an athlete actually gets the chance to play for his childhood sports team. That alone has to push Gaines to want the most out of his career. I still can't get over the fact that the Oakland Raiders sent a private investigator to follow QB JaMarcus Russell before selecting him #1 Overall. Gaines, one can only hope your as good as Julius Peppers (is it time to start a countdown to Peppers Free Agency?). It's refreshing to hear a player wanting to stay in the game every single down, chances are his wish won't come true with Kiffin's schemes. GooD LucK with the task of rebuilding the Defense, it will be a fun and frustrating process to watch.

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