It’s been a tumultuous week in Tampa as Hurricane Milton made landfall late Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, causing damage and flooding to many homes throughout the area. In preparation for the storm, the Bucs evacuated on Tuesday this week and headed to New Orleans. It was a big process as it wasn’t just Bucs players going, but also their families and pets.

Head coach Todd Bowles provided an update on the whole process to get everyone to their new spot.

“I think overall, everything went smoothly,” Bowles said. “We got the team out, we got their families out, we got their pets out and everything else. Family is the most important thing right now. You can replace material things, and you want everybody to be okay and you hope everybody evacuated – if not, [you hope they’re] hunkered down safely. Family is the most important thing. If you can get your family out and keep them safe, everything else can be replaced.”

Bucs’ Practice Facility In New Orleans

To those wondering where the Bucs were going to be practicing, Todd Bowles revealed that information, too. Tampa Bay has been trying to keep a similar preparation schedule as to what they would have at home, and luckily they’ve been able to with all the amenities.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“We get to practice at Tulane, and it started coming about [on] Friday and Saturday when it was really [looking like it could] hit us… a lot of phone calls, a lot of work,” Bowles said. “We were torn between New Orleans and Houston, but rather than get on another plane at the end of the week and go from Houston to New Orleans, it was easier for us to get here to New Orleans. We practice at Tulane, and we have our meetings – [we’re] trying to keep everything like a normal Wednesday as possible, other than the bus ride.

“The meeting times, the practice and everything else has been the same. We’re trying to keep that kind of structure, and we know [that] when they go back to the room, a lot of people go back to the room with families in it and it’s a little smaller and they won’t have the concentration part, so we’re trying to get as much done as possible while in the meeting rooms.”

Bucs Have Experienced Evacuating Before

This isn’t the first time that the Bucs have had to evacuate because of a hurricane. In the 2022 season, the team had to relocate to Miami for a several days and practiced at the Dolphins facility before coming back to Tampa and playing against the Chiefs on Monday night football, which the Bucs lost 41-31. Having that experience then better prepared everyone this time around.

Bucs LT Tristan Wirfs – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“The evacuation part was easier this time around because [the] Miami time, half [the team] drove and half flew and that made for a long trip back,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said. “It was a little chaotic and we really didn’t know what to expect keeping everybody in the hotel in the same place. Learning from that, we’re a little bit more organized as far as when we meet, how we meet, when the families eat, how they eat, and putting everybody – kind of keeping it normal like a normal practice week but yet still having time to see their families at the same time. It was a little – I don’t want to say easier, but it was a little more structured this time around.”

“I think that was a little crazier,” Bucs left tackle Tristan Wirfs said. “Because half the people flew, half the people drove. We drove down, so that was kind of wild. This was just like, everybody’s on the plane, everybody’s going. Meredith and Jules (his girlfriend and son), flew back up to Iowa, so we got that all squared away and everybody out safely. Hopefully everybody in Tampa evacuated as well, obviously we’re thinking about everybody down there and everybody’s homes and loved ones. It’s unbelievable.

How To Get Ready For A Big Game

With so much going on, the Bucs also have a very important game to prepare for this Sunday against the Saints. This could certainly be a distraction, but the team is using this as a way to band together while also compartmentalizing what is happening outside of their control.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“We’re kind of messing with (offensive line coach) Kevin Carberry about this one,” Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield began.  “He talks about an opportunity to test our mental toughness and as cheesy as he might be saying it, it’s the reality. Like I mentioned earlier, how can you make sure to take care of the things you need to before we leave, get your family safe and then go from there? How quickly can you focus on the game plan and execute?”

Mayfield also gave insight to what the biggest adjustment has been for everybody on the move this week.

“For our guys, you get into a routine as the season starts and you understand your bodywork, what you have to do rehab-wise after a game,” Mayfield said. “Get into a routine at home when you are practicing and just that schedule that you normally have and having to adjust on the fly. That’s the biggest difference for us, but we just have to deal with it. There’s no way around it, so just find a way to make it work, and this is a group that is capable of doing that.”