Bucs offer master class on life in the NFL with National Coaching Academy

TAMPA — In a past life, when his duties as a suite assistant at Raymond James Stadium were over, Nelson Vazquez looked through the plexiglass and allowed himself to dream.

“After the games, I would stand in the suite box and look from a coach’s point of view,” said Vazquez, a Port Tampa native who helped prepare food, at the positions drinks and cleaning on match days. “I was like, ‘Man, I wonder what it would be like to coach an NFL game.’ »

A decade later, the 32-year-old Plant High alumnus had the next best experience: coaching in an NFL. camp.

It’s not a fantasy camp; the thought perishes. It was a veritable Bucs rookie minicamp, filled with practices, facilities, meetings and film sessions, all with a prerequisite of reciting the playbook. Vazquez, now a coach at junior college success aspiring to climb the ladder in his profession, paid no fees to carry a whistle, get free gifts and stare at Todd Bowles’ shadow.

He and 24 others, all sharing a similar dream and all selected through an exhaustive interview process, were quickly propelled from the sidelines to the front lines.

“They sent those recruits (playbooks) home (Thursday) night, and they expected you to go out there and be a part of it,” said Candice Davis-Price, a performance coach at a Michigan high school and Vazquez’s classmate this week in particular. . “They didn’t want anyone left out. Coach (Todd Bowles) told me, “You came here to coach, go out and practice.” » »

Call it the laboratory portion of a weeklong masterclass, officially known as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Coaching Academy. Attendees, all with serious goals of one day joining an NFL staff, experienced the profession firsthand – warts, whiteboards and all.

“The last day, Sunday, in the meeting (quarterbacks coach) Thad Lewis is just giving everyone a chance to coach everyone,” Vazquez recalled.

“Coach Thad is showing facilities and he would put them on this projector and he would say, ‘Someone’s coaching me.’ So I’ve had a chance to coach this room, and they can hear my coaching style and hear me talk about the game, talk about progressions, reads, protections. I have had the opportunity to do so on several occasions.

A variation of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship introduced to the NFL more than 30 years ago, the National Coaching Academy is the first of its kind – in terms of size and scope – in the league. Born out of Bucs ownership, the concept was put forward by co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, who wanted to give qualified individuals a chance at the NFL’s inner sanctum for the first time.

“Since my family purchased the team in 1995, our priority has always been to hire the best people for coaching positions,” Glazer Kassewitz said.

“And we’ve learned over time that there are so many talented coaches, and yet there are so few opportunities for people to get a foothold in the NFL. So my family wanted to create new pathways and open doors for talented coaches to get their foot in the door to the NFL.

Global Call

The program was first announced last October. Applicants were required to have at least three years of experience coaching or working in a football program at the high school, collegiate or semi-professional level.

The team received more than 1,500 applications from around the world. Coaches, recruiters and front office staff sifted through the resumes, ultimately narrowing down 25. All expenses were paid except for the trip to Tampa. Students were housed in the team hotel and transported daily to the AdventHealth training center, where they had full access to the dining hall and were outfitted with an assortment of team attire.

They came from as far away as Germany, Brazil and Denmark. Five were women. Eight came from the prep or college coaching ranks.

Among them: Vazquez, a receiver on Plant High’s 2008 state title team. Now a single father of two, he spent the past four seasons as an offensive assistant at New Mexico Military Institute, who won a national juco title in 2021. A graduate of Fort Hays State, he launched his coaching career as an assistant at Plant. before becoming offensive coordinator at Wesley Chapel High.

“I’ll start by saying my resume was in the right format,” Vazquez said with a laugh. “I know (Bucs director of human resources) Kristin Hamwey this week, during one of the roundtable discussions, said that some people who didn’t have their resumes in the proper format had been disqualified.

“I know in my interview, man, I probably just spoke with confidence answering the questions. They showed a clip and basically wanted to test your football knowledge. And I felt like I was speaking with confidence; I didn’t try to act like I knew more than I did.

The seven-day program began with a moderated discussion between Tony Dungy, Ronde Barber and Bruce Arians (via Zoom) in the team’s AdventHealth Training Center media studio. The trio provided advice on a myriad of topics ranging from building relationships within the company to work-life balance to managing diverse personalities within the same team.

“When Tony and I worked for Marty Schottenheimer (with the Chiefs), we had these 20-hour work days. You couldn’t leave,” Arians reminded the group.

“I actually acted like I was going to go jogging and then go watch my son play middle school football. … I said if I was ever a head coach, I would never allow that to happen. And I made this statement to our team: “If you miss a recital, if you miss a game, I’ll fire your ass.” » You have plenty of time to come back to work.

A similar discussion with Bowles and general manager Jason Licht followed, with a focus on the right and wrong ways to get your foot in the figurative door of the NFL.

“I don’t expect you to come here and blow me away with football terminology; it’s not going to be enough,” Bowles said. “To me, what kind of person are you? How did you get into the coaching profession? What have you learned? What did you see? And over time, I get to know you, and that helps me get a job with us.

A coaching course

The courses that followed focused on player development, performance science, film criticism and the business side of professional football. Troy Vincent, NFL Vice President of Football Operations, gave a presentation on “NFL Leadership.” When minicamp began later in the week, participants were full participants in positioning meetings, workouts, and walkthroughs.

“Immediately when I walked in the door, I got a three-pound setup for the defense,” said Earl Chambers, Kentucky State’s Division II defensive coordinator. “So you have to understand, it took me a while to get comfortable with this. But the coaches have been great, setting us up, telling us exactly what our role would be, and those guys are so helpful.

In a particularly surreal moment, Vazquez said he found himself in a meeting room sitting next to Tom Moore, the Bucs’ venerable 85-year-old offensive assistant who spent nearly half a century in the NFL. Moore spoke to his listeners about the dangers of complacency and how greats such as Peyton Manning (whom Moore coached in Indianapolis) stuck to routine to avoid it.

“So I take notes every time Tom Moore opens his mouth,” Vazquez said.

Five of the participants will ultimately be selected to transition into the team’s Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship, which spans training camp and the preseason. Meanwhile, Vazquez is back in New Mexico, equipped with a stockpile of new methods, mantras and ideas. Just before leaving Bucs headquarters for the final time, another coach offered one last parting song.

Many of the things you need to be great are already within you.

“One of the coaches said that, and you just have to realize that inner potential and unleash it,” Vazquez said. “And this week really tricked my brain into like, these are the levels, man. In a humble way, I feel like I’ve done pretty well at the college level, but there are still levels to go. And I’m humbled and hungry, man.

And maybe one step closer to his dream.

Contact Joey Knight at [email protected]. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls.

• • •

Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter to receive daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.

Never miss the latest news on your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on Instagram, X and Facebook.