-Bucs Coaches participated in Third Annual Quarterback Coaching Summit put on by the NFL and Black College Football Hall of Fame. Over 30 coaches in both college and the pros attended an annual summit on Monday and Tuesday of this week. The conference focuses on quarterback coaching and has an offensive focus. Therefore, among those participating were Head Coach Bruce Arians, Assistant Head Coach and Run-Game Coordinator Harold Goodwin and Offensive Coordinator Byron Leftwich. Arians spoke on a panel while Leftwich gave a presentation. Goodwin participated for the third consecutive year, citing that there's always room to learn and grow – especially as a minority coach.
"I think the biggest thing I got from the summit this year was the understanding that I'm not alone in the battle of striving to be a head coach or in a position of power as a minority in this league," Goodwin said.
Arians answered questions, many of which surrounded how to give opportunities to minority coaches in all levels of coaching. Arians' staff is the only one in the NFL that is comprised of all minority coordinators, but his message was also that the pipeline needs to be filled with minority candidates throughout in order to make minority coordinators and head coaches more prevalent across the league.
Leftwich gave about a 15-minute presentation on communication between head coaches and offensive coordinators – something he's gotten very good at with his current head coach. Leftwich has been with BA as both a player and now as his offensive coordinator. It was evident last season that when Arians said he was going to hand the reins over to Leftwich, he meant it. The two prepared each week together but when it came time for the game, it was Leftwich that was calling plays. It's trust that he and Arians have built up over a long period of time, something both coaches have spoken about numerous times in the past.
There were virtual meet-and-greets in the absence of face-to-face interactions as in years past. A few select team owners even conducted mock interviews.
-Get your Gronk burger while it's hot. A local favorite known for its sports-themed dishes now has a 'Gronk Burger' on the menu that includes provolone, roast beef, au jus and homemade horseradish sauce on a pretzel bun, according to Pewter Report's Taylor Jenkins. Gronk hungry… and now so am I.
