An interview with Aqib Talib The Bucs' 1st round pick out of Kansas took part in a press conference with the Tampa media the day after being drafted. Any comment on the expectations that everyone has for you now? “Whoever called my name that was the plan, to have a chance to start. I am a Tampa Bay Buccaneer and I plan on making an impact, coming in and working hard, and making an impact right away.” Can you play the Cover-2? “We started to play a lot of cover two in my last year at Kansas. I kind of got introduced to it a lot in my junior year and I will be ready for it. Coach Kiffin is the master at it and I think with his help and Coach Raheem [Morris’] help, I think I will be alright learning the scheme, and make a lot of plays in the cover two.” Do you want to comment on your previous off-field issues? “It was a stage that when I was a young man, moving out of the house, being on your own for the first time, I went through a little stage in college. All of that stuff happened two and a half years ago. That was a stage I went through in my life, and I learned a lot from it. I am a grown man now, I have moved forward from that. It is all behind me now.” Why do you think the Bucs chose you? “I think defense wins championships. If you build a nice defense you have a better chance to win a championship. A player like me coming in, I make plays and I think I bring a lot to the table for the Bucs.” Did you expect to be selected by Tampa Bay? “It was a surprise, but at the same time I had a real good conversation with Coach Gruden when I met with Tampa Bay. I felt real good about it that if I made it down to number 20 I had a chance of going to Tampa Bay. So I felt good about it when their pick came up.” What did you and Jon Gruden talk about? “He told me that I reminded him a lot of Charles Woodson. He said that if he had an opportunity to coach a player like Charles Woodson again he didn’t want to pass it up. I kind of just laid it all on the line and if I get to the Bucs, I think I am going to go to the Bucs. I sat there and I told my dad that, and it played out and it happened.” How about your personality and how it translates onto the field? “I think every cornerback has to play with swagger. You can ask that to any cornerback in the league and he will tell you that he plays with a lot of confidence because it comes with the position. Playing cornerback you have to have a lot of confidence.”