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Bucs welcome rookie Kameron Johnson: 'I was overwhelmed with emotions'

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Published  August 27, 2024 5:24pm EDT
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
FOX 13 News

Bucs rookie overcomes odds

Kevin O'Donnell reports

TAMPA, Fla. - It was a bit of a stretch for Kameron Johnson to make the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he overcame the long odds.

The 5-10 wide receiver, who went un-drafted out of Barton College in North Carolina, earned his spot with the Bucs despite not even getting word from the team.

"Honestly, I didn't get a call. I was just keeping up on Twitter and stuff like that," Johnson said. "They released the official 53-man roster and I saw my name up there. It was just a feeling of gratitude. I was overwhelmed with emotions."

Todd Bowles welcomed Kam to the team in his own unique way.

"I was at practice today, and we only have four receivers that are active right now, so was talking about coach, and I raised my voice a little bit," Johnson said. "Coach Bowles was sitting right there like saying, 'Since you made the team Kameron you've got to lower your voice now. You're still a rookie'. I guess that's his way of congratulating me."

"You saw it in the spring – you saw a lot of promise in the spring," Bowles said. "He was quick in and out of his cuts, in and out of his routes, and he has great hands. He runs like a running back, he’s quick, he’s sudden, and he was very sharp."

READ: Bucs and Dolphins hold joint practice ahead of preseason matchup

Kam has made plenty of noise during training camp to gain the respect of his teammates despite only three receptions in the games.

"Seeing how he works, it makes sense," Chris Godwin said. "You could tell that very early. The way he tracks the ball is a high level. He has great attention to detail. He runs good routes and he's tough. He's also eager to learn. He has a good head on his shoulder, and he has a bright future."

Barton College stopped their football program in 1950 and didn't bring it back until 2020. The Division II program is so small that Kameron had to go to North Carolina State's Pro Day just to get noticed by the NFL.

The Bucs noticed him and now Kameron is the first player to make an NFL roster from his school.

"It's given me a sense of motivation honestly," Johnson said. "I'm motivating other people from my area, from other small schools. My phone has been blowing up from other people talking about, 'How do you do this?' 'How do you get to that level?' Guys smaller than me. So it's definitely a good feeling to be that inspiration to somebody."

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