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Former Buccaneers All-Pro credited for starting viral draft trend

Gerald McCoy was a ferocious competitor in the trenches on the field for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but a charismatic personality always willing to engage in a warm embrace off of it.
Collin Haalboom|
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell introduces defensive tackle Gerald McCoy as the third overall pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell introduces defensive tackle Gerald McCoy as the third overall pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. | Howard Smith-Imagn Images

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There have been many Tampa Bay Buccaneers draft selections over the years that deserve to go down in history — some for very different reasons than others. For example, the selections of Roberto Auguayo and Vernon Hargreaves will be remembered much differently than the selections of Derrick Brooks and Mike Evans — for obvious reasons.

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But when evaluating Tampa Bay's historic draft picks over the years, the selection of Gerald McCoy at number 3 overall in 2010 stands out among the rest. Despite not winning many games in Tampa Bay, McCoy had a long and successful pro career. But that's not the only reason why his selection deserves to be remembered.

Gerald McCoy deserves credit for pioneering a trend that has not only stuck around since he was drafted 15 years ago, but one that has become common practice, demonstrated by practically every player who has ever walked across the stage to greet commissioner Roger Goodell since.

Of course, I'm talking about the first-ever draft hug.

On Tuesday, the Buccaneers social media team decided to pay homage to McCoy for starting this trend with a post on social media.

Gerald McCoy's infamous hug on draft night 15 years ago is a very accurate representation of the type of person he is. A ferocious competitor in the trenches on the field, but a charismatic personality always willing to engage in a warm embrace off of it.

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Collin Haalboom
COLLIN HAALBOOM

Prior to joining BucsGameday and Sports Illustrated, Collin's written content was provided through Bucs Banter, and NFL Draft Lounge. He is also the creator and host of the Bucs Banter Podcast. He is a graduate of the Communication Studies program at McMaster University, where he was also a varsity basketball player, and later an advanced scout. He lives with his wife and two children in Hamilton, ON. You can follow Collin on YouTube and Twitter.

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