Ratliff Ready to Go

Keiwan Ratliff, the Bucs newest acquisition, is ready to don the red and brown.

“I have a helmet in my hand, I have a jersey on and I’m walking into the locker room. It’s a great feeling for me right now. I’m still on Cloud Nine right now. This is the best day for me.”
-Keiwan Ratliff

Ratliff feels as if he is a five-year old on Christmas morning, unwrapping the much anticipated bicycle.

Ratliff, who was signed by the Buccaneers on Monday, returns to football a little over a month after he was released by the Cincinnati Bengals. Ratliff has been a Bengal ever since he was drafted 49th overall from the University of Florida in 2004. Ratliff admits that he was surprised when he was released by the Bengals, as he had played every game in his first three NFL seasons. Ratliff was hurt by losing his job, and checked the league’s transaction wire every night. He just wanted to be back on the field. This is a guy who practices practice! Even after his release, he continued working out at a local gym.

“I had to keep my legs used to going through these types of practices so that if I did get picked up I wouldn’t come out here and look terrible. I was just trying to stay in that football mindset.”

Ratliff now joins a backfield that consists of Pro Bowlers Ronde Barber and Brian Kelly. That means so much to Ratliff, who is willing to do anything to stay on the team.

“If they asked me to try to learn how to kick, I’d do that. I just want to try to help and be part of a team again. Football has been taken away from me for a few weeks now, and that was the longest I ever went without playing it, so I’m just excited to have a chance to come out and compete with guys again.”

He will be a great addition to the Bucs stagnant D, and could even fill in the role of punt returner, which he did in Cincinnati for three years.