Buchanon's Age Doesn't Reflect His Experiences

LAKE BUENA VISTA | Phillip Buchanon is a young man at 27 years old, but he feels he has gone through a lot in his six years in the NFL.

Buchanon went from a flashy first-round draft pick to being outright released in a little less than five seasons.

Since coming to the Tampa Bay in 2006, however, Buchanon is becoming known for his consistency at cornerback.

"He's been here two years, and he's more comfortable with me and more comfortable in the system," said Tampa Bay secondary coach Raheem Morris. "He's looking great in camp. He's looking awesome."

In college, many thought the 5-foot-11, 186-pound Buchanon was on his way to joining the long list of great University of Miami's great defensive players. He had seven interceptions in 32 games, including five his senior season. He also led the Big East with a 15-yard punt return average and had two touchdowns.

That play-making ability caught the Oakland Raiders' attention, and they traded up to take Buchanon with the 17th pick in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft.

Yet, after two strong seasons in which he had three interception returns and three punt returns for touchdowns, Buchanon's stock went into a nosedive.

He was sent to Houston in 2005 and played a season and a half before being benched. He was released Oct. 16, 2006. Tampa Bay signed him one day later and the change of environment rejuvenated the Fort Myers native.

The problems Oakland and Houston seemingly had with Buchanon - poor coverage skills, poor tackling - have not appeared with the Bucs.

He played in 10 games with the Bucs in 2006 but really had an impact last season. Buchanon set a career high with 63 tackles, ranked second on the team with three interceptions and ranked third on the team with a career-high 11 passes defended. He also forced a fumble and returned a team-high 16 punts.

"He was a great player coming out of Miami," said Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden. "You don't get picked in the first round unless you are. He went to Houston and actually did some good things there. But he is a very athletic, gifted athlete and he's a great kid. He's got a lot of pride and he's playing really good football for us."

Buchanon said he got a bad rap in Oakland and Houston.

"I'm in a better environment," he said. "I never figured myself to have a problem with tackling. The situations that I was put in - it was down, a lot of losing, a lot of things going on behind closed doors that people didn't know about. It was kind of depressing. But at the same time, I came here with the mind-set of coming here playing. They respect you (in Tampa). They make you feel like a man, and in certain places they didn't make you feel that way.

"People are always going to have a knock on you," Buchanon said. "They're always going to have good and bad things about you. I'm focused on doing things that I can control, and that is focus on being a better player, a better tackler, making more plays, helping my team win and doing whatever they want me to do."

He knows he can't afford to rest.

With Brian Kelly leaving for Detroit, Buchanon inherited the open starting corner spot. But the Bucs brought in Eugene Wilson from New England and drafted another flashy cornerback, Aqib Talib, with their first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

"Competition always brings out the best in everybody," Morris said. "A lot of guys in my room, they're motivated guys. I don't think anybody ever doesn't want to be great. From the bottom up in that group, they're going to fight everyday. Phil came back with that same mind-set to fight. He had a bad ending in Oakland, a bad ending in Houston, and I think he found something here he likes and wants to keep it and he's fighting for it."

For Buchanon, it's just a matter of focusing in on the game he loves.

"You've heard the commercial that says 'Believe in now?'" he asked. "I just try to take it for the now. I'm just focused on the day and let the game come to me. So when they come to me, I'll be ready to play."

(theledger.com)