Talib impresses Gruden

Coach pleased with first-round draft pick's demeanor, passion

By ROGER MOONEY

rmooney@bradenton.com

TAMPA --

In Arabic, Aqib Talib's first name means "Last to come."

"I'm the fourth of four children," Talib said.

Say no more.

What about Talib?

"My last name? I don't know," Talib said.

"That name means good corner, I hope," Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden said Monday morning as he helped Talib hold up the Bucs jersey with the traditional No. 1 awarded to the team's first pick in last weekend's NFL Draft.

The Bucs took the Kansas cornerback with the 20th pick in the draft in an effort to retool a defensive backfield that is good but getting older.

And first impressions being what they are, you can say Talib looks good . . . in a suit and tie.

He met with the Tampa Bay media Monday morning at the team's headquarters in Tampa and was impressive with his answers.

Favorite food? Chinese.

What scares him? Animals and insects. Dragon flies and lizards are high on the list.

About those three failed drug tests for smoking marijuana while at KU.

"All I can say is my actions speak louder than words," Talib said. "I'm pretty sure that maybe after this season when nothing happens, it'll die down. I'm not really worried about it. I made a bad reputation at Kansas from doing that. I'm not dumb enough to do it again. I learned from my mistakes."

It is Talib's 6-foot-1, 206-pound frame and big-play-making abilities that impressed the Bucs the most. He had 13 interceptions in three seasons for the Jayhawks and returned two for touchdowns. He also caught nine passes, include five for touchdowns during limited time on offense.

Gruden likes that type of splash from his players.

Plus, Talib was one of the players who helped rise the KU program from the ashes to the top of the polls and to the Orange Bowl last season.

"He has tremendous confidence," Gruden said. "He's got a real passion to play. It's a contagious vibe. He's a leader at KU, and when you watch him practice or see him play, you know who No. 3 is. You just can't walk away without feeling his presence on the football field. He's a competitor and playmaker."

Talib was the first of seven players selected by the Bucs during the two-day draft.

They took wide receiver Dexter Jackson from Appalachian State in the second round and will use him in a return game that can certainly use a boost.

In the third round the Bucs found a lineman who can play all five positions across the offensive line in Jeremy Zuttah, the 6-4, 303-pound tackle/guard from Rutgers.

They added depth to the defensive line by taking Maryland's 6-4, 305-pound tackle Dre Moore, considered a late bloomer, in the fourth round.

What would a Bucs draft be without a quarterback? Gruden found one in the fifth round in Josh Johnson, who threw 43 touchdown passes and only one interception for San Diego.

Florida State's Geno Hayes became the 11th linebacker on the roster when he went to the Bucs in the sixth round.

Finally, the Bucs added another seventh-round running back when they selected South Carolina's Cory Boyd with their last pick.

Along the way the Bucs made three trades to move up and down and gain a pick in all seven rounds plus one in next year's draft. Other than Talib and possibly Jackson, the draft produced mostly depth.

But the Bucs are counting on big things from their new cornerback.

With Ronde Barber turning 33 and Brian Kelly gone to free agency, the Bucs could use another cornerback who can contribute right away, especially since the team often lines up in the nickel package.

Talib said he couldn't be happier to join a defensive backfield that includes Barber.

"When me and my friends talk about the top corners in the league and who we want to play like, Ronde Barber's name always comes up," Talib said.

And now he has a chance to learn the pro game from the All-Pro cornerback as he tries to live up to his last name. Or, Gruden's interpretation of Talib.