TAMPA, Fla. — With the Buccaneers home opener three days away, cornerback Zyon McCollum understands the opportunity presented to him this year.
"It lets me know they trust me. That's something I've been trying to gain since I got here," he said.
In the offseason, Tampa Bay traded veteran and Super Bowl champion Carlton Davis III to the Detroit Lions. The move opened up a spot for the third-year cornerback who will not be a depth piece anymore.
McCollum is no stranger to starting. Since Davis III and Jamel Dean were injured plenty in 2023, McCollum earned nine starts and played in all 17 games last year.
While many on the outside looking in will doubt him, he is confident in himself. He also had plenty of doubters in college going to FCS Sam Houston State. He originally committed to Utah, but he did not want to be separated from his twin brother, Tristin. While the recruiting process had twists and turns, the boys from Galveston stayed in the state and went to Huntsville.
Tristin plays for the Eagles now and the Buccaneers will see him inside Raymond James Stadium at the end of the month.
In this week's installment of The One Buc, McCollum outlines what it was like to grow up with a twin brother, how a youth coaching mistake helped Zyon later in life and why Mike Evans was a "superhero" to him growing up.
You can watch The One Buc every Thursday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 11 p.m. on 10 Tampa Bay. You can also watch 10 Tampa Bay's weekly Buccaneers preview show, The Blitz, at 8:30 a.m. Sunday's. You can also view the episode on 10 Tampa Bay+ and our YouTube Page on Saturdays.