Former Atlanta Falcons Player Levies Big Accusation at 2012 Buccaneers Team
The Greg Schiano Era of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is mostly remembered by fans for its blunders and sorrows, and it looks like another one could possibly be added to the list — if it's true, that is.
Former Atlanta Falcons defensive end three-time First Team All-Pro John Abraham recently appeared on the Water Boyz Podcast, and during it, he had a story to tell about the 2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers that ended with quite the allegation. Per JoeBucsFan, he told the podcast that former Bucs tackle Donald Penn, who was a friend of Abraham's during their playing years, had warned him during a Week 17 game that Tampa Bay was instructed to injure Atlanta's players.
“[Penn] was like, ‘Hey man, be careful out here. The coaches told us to hurt you all,” Abraham said on the podcast. “I was like, ‘Stop playing.’ He’s like, ‘Nah, they told us to hurt y’all. So we’re going to be going extra. After the whistle, we’re going to be doing everything to try to mess with y’all.'”
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According to JoeBucsFan, Penn denies the allegation from Abraham, calling it "completely ridiculous" and also insinuating that if he had been told to do that by Buccaneers staff, he would not have carried out the order.
It will likely be impossible to know who is telling the truth here unless more players or coaches speak out, but it would only add to Schiano's tumultuous tenure in Tampa Bay. Under Schiano, the Bucs suffered from a MRSA outbreak, notoriously blitzed during victory formations and had tensions between Schiano and the players that led to him getting fired after just two years.
Schiano is currently coaching at Rutgers as their head coach, while former Buccaneers wide receivers coach P.J. Fleck is the head coach at Minnesota. Schiano's assistant defensive backs coach, Jeff Hafley, is the new defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers.
While it may or may not have happened, that era of Buccaneers football is long behind us — in 2024, the Buccaneers will attempt to win the NFC South for the fourth time in a row and secure another playoff berth.
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RIVER WELLS
River Wells is a sports journalist from St. Petersburg, Florida, who has covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2023. He graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Florida in 2021. You can follow him on Twitter @riverhwells.