The arrests haven’t piled up quite as fast as the wins for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they’ve been achieving both at a rate no one quite expected.
Linebacker Geno Hayes was the latest player to get arrested for the Bucs (8-5). He was subdued by a Taser gun outside a Tampa nightclub in the wee hours following the team’s victory at Washington on Sunday. Hayes was the third player arrested in the last two months.
It’s created a perception, at the minimum, that the Bucs are not a disciplined organization under young head coach Raheem Morris.
“We talk a lot about how we need to take care of business off-the-field as well. It doesn't speak well on the type of coach Raheem is,” quarterback Josh Freeman told Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune. “Raheem is a great coach. Everybody has the utmost respect for Raheem and the talk really has been, 'We've got to stop … getting in trouble off-the-field.'”
Tight end Jerrmay Stevens was arrested on drug charges and wide receiver Mike Williams was busted for allegedly drunken driving. Cornerback Aqib Talib’s attack of a cab driver was resolved this past summer.
"We have to take a higher level of responsibility on ourselves from college,” Freeman said. “As team captains, as leaders, I've been stressing that a lot lately."
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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune