The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trying to make the best of a long road trip that isn’t usual for an NFL team.
Forced to leave Florida because of Hurricane Milton, the Bucs arrived in New Orleans on Tuesday—five days before their game against the NFC South rival Saints on Sunday.
They practiced on Wednesday at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium, trying to stick to a routine similar to what they would have had in Tampa.
Instead of going back to their usual training facility, players and coaches took buses to hotel rooms that they are sharing with family members and pets.
“Family is the most important thing right now. … If you can get your family out and keep them safe, everything else can be replaced,” said coach Todd Bowles.
“We understand the things we do in football are a small (part) in the game of life and how a hurricane is going to affect people,” he added. “Everybody is here, and their families are here. That makes it a lot easier.”
The Glazer family, which owns the Bucs and has strong connections to Tulane, arranged two planes for a traveling group of about 350 people and 31 pets.
It’s not the first time the team has had to leave the Tampa Bay area to avoid dangerous weather.
Two years ago, they moved to South Florida to practice at the Miami Dolphins’ training facility to escape Hurricane Ian while preparing for a home game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
When Tampa Bay’s 2017 season opener against the Dolphins was delayed because of Hurricane Irma, the team booked several planes to take players, coaches, staff, and family members to Charlotte, North Carolina, ahead of the storm.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield said that the organization focusing on safety first was “big time” and really appreciated by the players.
Star receiver Mike Evans, who is in his 11th season, grew up in Galveston, Texas, and knows well the dangers of hurricanes.
“I just want everybody to be safe at the end of the day,” Evans said.
“We obviously have a job to do, so we’re going to do that. The games are still going to be played,” added the team’s all-time leader in receiving and scoring. “The hardest thing is just making sure everybody is good, then just praying and hoping for the best.”
Bowles mentioned that lessons from the 2022 trip to Miami have been helpful this week.
The team also thought about moving operations to Houston but decided it would be better to arrive in New Orleans early and avoid having to take another plane later in the week.
“The evacuation was easier this time around,” Bowles said, explaining that last time some players drove to South Florida while others flew.
There was also the challenge of having families stay at the same hotel and finding a way to keep a normal practice routine while also allowing players time with their families.
“Learning from that, we’re a little more organized as far as when we meet, when the families eat, how they eat,” Bowles said. “So it’s a little, I don’t want to say easier, but a little more structured this time around.”
Hurricane Milton is expected to hit Florida’s west coast late Wednesday. The Bucs are currently planning to return to Florida after Sunday’s game, but Bowles confirmed that the team has talked about backup plans that might keep players and their families away longer.
