For Bucs cornerback Zyon McCollum, his second season will likely be a giant one for him. After going by means of some rookie struggles final season, he has an opportunity to be a key cog within the secondary as the following man up behind beginning cornerbacks Carlton Davis III and Jamel Dean this yr.
To take action, McCollum should sharpen each his ball abilities and tackling. After choosing off Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky on Friday night time, he checked a type of bins. But he nonetheless has some work to do to verify off the opposite.
Zyon McCollum Discusses His INT In opposition to Steelers
Proper after the Bucs scored on a Baker Mayfield landing cross to Trey Palmer, the Steelers have been seeking to air it out for giant yards to reply again. Second-year cornerback Zyon McCollum had different concepts.
McCollum performed tight protection on large receiver Cody White on the precise sideline, and as they acquired tousled, White tipped the ball proper into his fingers to offer the Bucs some momentum. McCollum mentioned the play after the sport.
Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
“They prefer to throw fades, so [I got my] head round fast,” McCollum stated. “It was similar to we practiced. He took exterior launch; I knew it was a fade, I acquired my head round, and the ball simply got here to me.”
To return down with the ball, it took nice anticipation and focus within the second to regulate. Was something totally different going by means of his thoughts through the play?
“Actually nothing, to be trustworthy,” McCollum answered. “You’re simply so like within the second, and I’m simply seeing with my eyes, the place my two ft are. I’m simply eager about intercepting the ball, the ball’s within the air. I don’t wish to break it up, I wish to intercept it. I do know we acquired tousled, so I attempted to get it up, after which it simply popped up completely for me, and I simply caught it.”
Whereas he showcased a capability to create takeaways at Sam Houston State, McCollum didn’t document an interception throughout his rookie yr in Tampa Bay. Performs just like the one he had towards the Steelers could be a much-needed confidence booster.
“It’s massive,” McCollum added. “It lets me know that a whole lot of the work that I’ve been placing in is coming to fruition, and it’s simply step one, it’s simply the primary sport. It’s good to know we’re moving into the precise route, and it provides me motivation to maintain doing what I’m doing and hold working exhausting.”
Zyon McCollum And Ronde Barber Are Extra Comparable Than You Assume
Together with his interception being a step in the precise route, each Zyon McCollum and the Bucs hope he can use his rookie yr as motivation to take his play to the following stage. There isn’t a higher route he can emulate than that of Corridor of Fame cornerback Ronde Barber.
Legendary Bucs CB Ronde Barber – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
Just lately, Barber put McCollum as much as the problem of changing doubt to gas. McCollum leans on his journey as motivation.
“Large time,” McCollum stated. “Listening to his story and understanding what he went by means of his first yr. Getting ridiculed by the media and the followers. [Seeing him] and the way he bounced again right into a Corridor of Fame profession. I imply, it’s the largest motivational push I may even ask for.”
Whereas McCollum has a methods to go in his personal growth, he and Barber have hanging parallels – on and off the sector. They embrace being mid-round alternatives, having rookie struggles, and being criticized by followers and media alike.
However earlier than the sport, Barber himself didn’t know their similarities prolonged additional – each are an identical twins with NFL brothers. Tristin McCollum, Zyon’s twin, is a reserve defensive again on the Eagles.
“[Ronde Barber] got here as much as me earlier than the sport and stated he didn’t know I used to be a twin,” McCollum stated. “He was knocking himself as a result of he didn’t notice I used to be additionally an an identical twin. I informed him that after we have been in elementary college, we used to learn his and Tiki’s books on a regular basis. It was fairly surreal to truly see him and have him come as much as me and want me luck earlier than the sport. Simply to know our routes are related in a approach.”
There Are Nonetheless Areas Zyon McCollum Can Enhance
Whereas Zyon McCollum made one good play, he nonetheless made Pewter Report’s Most Disappointing checklist towards the Steelers. This was as a result of permitting a number of catches and never conserving include on this 14-yard landing run by Steelers operating again Anthony McFarland. McCollum admitted that his hesitancy on that play was Déjà vu.
“I used to be in nice place, I used to be simply hesitant, you understand?” McCollum admitted. “It jogged my memory a bit little bit of final yr, in a approach. The hesitancy. The being in a superb place however not having the tenacity to go after it and get it. That’s why once I went over to the bench, I used to be like, ‘I can’t simply rerun this identical factor over and over. In some unspecified time in the future, I’m going to should go on the market and make a play.’”
Steelers WR George Pickens and Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
To his credit score, McCollum discovered a silver lining on this play. Whereas the struggles could have introduced him down final yr, he’s taking it as an opportunity to develop.
“It felt good to know – to be in a nasty spot and have all of these reoccurring ideas from final yr come into my head once more, after which simply put my foot down and say, ‘No, we’re not going to go do that once more. That was horrible,’” McCollum stated. “That’s progress, and that’s actually all I hope for.”
As McCollum seems to enhance, maybe probably the most obtrusive space to refine is his tackling. Whereas he has seen himself taking strides on this facet of his sport, he simply must decelerate and assault when the second strikes.
“I’ve seen it develop as a result of I really feel like I don’t should be on the spot as shortly,” McCollum stated. “I felt like final yr, my velocity was what acquired me out of place a bit bit. Me simply slowing down and seeing the whole lot with my eyes after which attacking. It’s helped me, however clearly, there’s all the time going to be room for enchancment. So long as I’m lacking a sort out in a sport, that’s a part of the sport I’ve to repair.”
