Mike Alstott, USAA give military members a day to remember at One Buc Place
TAMPA, Fla. - For the second day of training camp, fans were in the house at One Buc Place.
There were folks sporting red and pewter of all ages, and among those in attendance were service members from all branches of the military.
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"This is a great way for us outside of serving to be able to have fun together," Air Force medical officer Mark Braswell said.
However, once the Tampa Bay Buccaneers left the practice field, that was when the fun really began.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," USAA military affairs representative Shelina Frey said. "You don't get to come into an NFL stadium and see NFL players and come to this bootcamp and practice or act like they are doing drills as if they are in the NFL. They know a whole lot about military drills, but this is NFL drill stuff is so new to them, and they are so excited for this challenge."
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The backstory:
Legendary Bucs fullback Mike Alstott partnered up with USAA to put service members through an NFL combine-style boot camp with drills like the three-cone shuttle, the 40-yard dash and the broad jump. USAA has been putting this event on with the Bucs annually since 2011.
"In the military, you've got to stay in physical shape, warrior mindset," Braswell said. "That's what we do in the military and that's what we are trying to do in the competition today."
The workouts were intense as they were split into teams to determine which service group would have the best score in all the events.
"They will be competing," Alstott said. "They will actually be competing. It's not like coming out here and practicing."
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The competitors all have the same goal in mind.
What they're saying:
"It's about one team," Braswell said. "One military. All serving our country and coming together and rallying around each other, building team morale. It is all about the team. It is an honor to be here today."
Alstott wasn't there just to put the service members through a tough workout, he wanted to thank them individually.
"I play a game, I did play a game and I appreciate everything, but their lives are on the line in a lot of situations," Alstott said. "They go through a lot of difficult stuff for our freedom for what we can do each and every day. They are the ones that need to be appreciated more than anybody."
They definitely feel appreciation from Alstott, the Bucs and USAA.
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"They are very serious military members," Frey said. "They take care of our nation's business. They take pause when USAA and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers say thank you for your service. For them to take a break and to relax and do what we call a no-brainer and laugh and have a different kind of camaraderie with different military members or other services, that's a good day in the neighborhood."
It's a day these military members will never forget.
"We are so honored for the hospitality," Braswell said. "We are here to serve our country and serve others. It's such an honor to have USAA and the Bucs to serve service members. We are extremely honored and grateful to be here."
What's next:
Each member from the winning team in Thursday's competition earned tickets to the Buccaneers' Salute to Service game against the New England Patriots on November 9.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Mark Skol, Jr.