Football and confidence go hand-in-hand. If you play the game, you have to believe that you can win week in and week out, regardless of circumstance. So it’s no surprise that Bucs offensive linemen Ali Marpet is confident that the Bucs can repeat in 2021.
“I go into most seasons with confidence that we have the ability, right,” Marpet said during an interview with Bucs UK TV. “So I think that even though I never made the playoffs besides last year, every year I’ve gone into the season thinking, ‘Alright, this is the year. We can make a legitimate run.’. So, again, I’m very confident that we can continue to do that, but a lot of things have to go right and a lot of work has to be done. You don’t just show up and it just happens, right? So, I’m confident we can do it again, but there are a lot of things that need to go right and a lot of work needs to be put in.”
And while Marpet’s ability to remain confident is an annual mindset, it certainly helps to receive a boost like the Bucs bringing back all of their starting free agents.
“I think one thing that’s unique to the NFL; that’s different than let’s say, the NBA or the MLB, is that the talent pool can vary quite a bit from team to team,” Marpet said. “Like, the top teams are much, much better than the worst teams. In the NFL, I think it’s more of a level playing field and I think the talent pool is pretty evenly distributed. And I think any edge that you can have makes a big difference and I feel like we have a pretty talented team. And that little edge does make a big difference.”
It’s clear that the Bucs are on a mission in 2021. With guys like Marpet leading the way, there’s little doubt -if any- that more championship banners will go up in Raymond James Stadium.
You can check out the full interview with Marpet on Bucs UK’s YouTube channel here. And be sure to check them out on twitter and BucsUk.org!
