Fourth-round selection Bucky Irving exceeded expectations as a rookie last season, transitioning from rotational contributor to offensive focal point in Tampa Bay’s backfield. The Buccaneers’ rushing attack averaged 146.5 yards per game behind a returning offensive line featuring established veterans Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke alongside developing talents Graham Barton and Cody Mauch. This cohesive unit’s dominance in the trenches enabled Irving’s breakout campaign, demonstrating the organization’s successful draft strategy and developmental program. With all five starters returning under coordinator Josh Grizzard’s system, Tampa Bay appears positioned to build upon last season’s ground success while continuing to integrate young offensive weapons. But with a warning!

Bucky Irving understands his breakout year did not happen in isolation. He knows that his success started with the five up front. The Buccaneers’ offensive line—returning intact—formed the wall that cleared his path. Irving is quick to deflect praise and push the spotlight onto the trench warriors, showcasing peak sportsmanship. “We got all them guys are returning,” Irving said. “I don’t talk about myself, I talk about the O-line. Because without them guys, none of them things are possible.”

That selfless mindset comes from more than just experience. It’s a value passed down by those who wore the jersey before him. In a recent episode of Born a Buccaneer, Irving sat down with Tampa Bay legend Mike Alstott. The conversation went beyond just football and into what it means to represent the franchise. “Don’t get bigger than the game, right?” Alstott told him, offering the kind of advice that echoes through generations in locker rooms built on legacy.

Alstott understands what it means to carry the weight of the Bucs’ name. As a second-round pick in 1996, he gave the franchise 11 seasons of bruising, all-heart football. He sees something familiar in Irving and gives him a warning wrapped in encouragement. “Just keep your eye on the bullseye, right? And don’t get too big,” Alstott said. “It’s about our team and our community, too.” Irving is already pushing the team to the forefront of the NFC South.

The Buccaneers found Irving in the fourth round, selecting the former Oregon and Minnesota back with pick No. 125. He brought burst, balance, and attitude to a backfield that was desperate for change. In 2023, Tampa Bay finished dead last in yards per carry at 3.4. With Irving’s help and new offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s scheme, the Bucs powered their way to 5.3 yards per carry in 2024.

By season’s end, Tampa Bay had flipped the script. Their ground game averaged 149.2 yards per game, ranking fourth across the NFL. Irving’s rise is real, and a story of the past flashes before fans’ eyes.

Echoes of Warrick Dunn in Bucky Irving’s burst

Mike Alstott sees something familiar in Bucky Irving’s game. When the former Buccaneers fullback looks at the second-year rookie, he sees flashes of another Tampa Bay great—Warrick Dunn. The resemblance, he says, is hard to ignore. “You and him are kind of like almost identical,” Alstott told Irving. Both backs are compact, shifty, and know how to find lanes where none appear to exist. That comparison means something in Tampa Bay.

Dunn stood at 5-foot-9 and weighed 180 pounds during his playing days. Irving is just an inch taller and 15 pounds heavier, but the physical similarities are only part of the story. The real connection is in how they play. “Similar styles in and then getting back out, you know what I mean?” Alstott said. “Inside the tackles and then bouncing back out and stuff like that, you know what I mean? Getting out of the crowd and establishing your speed, you know? That’s what I saw the first time I saw him.” That shiftiness and spatial awareness drew Alstott’s eyes immediately.

Irving proved he had the chops last year with big games against divisional rivals. Todd Bowles’ RB piled up 523 yards in those matchups alone. It’s that kind of performance against familiar foes that shows growth. Dunn did the same in his time. The franchise listed Dunn’s 210-yard game against Dallas in December 2000 as one of its most iconic. Dunn averaged 9.5 yards per carry that day and never looked back. The bar is high, but Irving’s already taking swings at it.

Dunn made his NFL debut with the Bucs in 1997 and quickly became a fan favorite. His mix of burst, vision, and effort made him impossible to ignore. Even after leaving for Atlanta in 2002, he carried that popularity with him. Paired with T.J. Duckett, the duo earned the “Thunder & Lightning” nickname—power and finesse in perfect balance. Now, his legacy lives beyond the box score. Dunn is a pillar in his communities, using his platform to give back long after hanging up his cleats. This offseason, Todd Bowles’ draft decisions set the standard. For Irving, the road ahead is long, but the foundation is strong.