Buccaneers Coach Compares Rueben Bain to Steelers Legend

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were seriously considering trading out of the No. 15 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to get some more draft capital and revamp their defense. But that thought process changed when a prospect they never thought would fall to them ended up doing just that.

Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. wreaked havoc for the Hurricanes during his tenure in college, and since the Bucs drafted him at No. 15, he's been the talk of the building. Bain's work ethic and physical prowess have impressed just about everyone at One Buc Place, and Tampa Bay believes he can contribute in a big way in 2026.

Bain's position coach, Larry Foote, is one of the many Buccaneers names excited to see what Bain can do. And in a press conference on Tuesday, he compared Bain to a former teammate of his who won Defensive Player of the Year.

Larry Foote compares Rueben Bain to James Harrison

Pittsburgh Steelers retired linebacker James Harrison is introduced before a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars | Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

Foote played for the Pittsburgh Steelers for 11 years in the NFL as an inside linebacker. During that time, he was teammates with the legendary James Harrison, Pittsburgh's outside linebacker who netted two All-Pros and a DPOY nod during his career, and he sees a little bit of Harrison in the way Bain plays and carries himself.

"Off the film, if you had to bet, he's gonna be a star," Foote said. "He's explosive, he plays with great leverage, he's hard to block, those type of guys. Back in Pittsburgh, I played with a guy, James Harrison, like that — you couldn't block him. He has that trait, he has that ability."

If Bain ended up half as good as Harrison, the Bucs would be very, very happy. Aside from the mentioned accolades, Harrison netted 84.5 sacks, 34 forced fumbles and 583 solo tackles during a 15-year career. Foote saw a lot of those numbers up close, and if he believes that Bain can evoke Harrison's talent, Tampa Bay's front office should be very pleased.

Foote also spoke to his work ethic and compared him to another franchise legend — this time, Tampa Bay's own Lavonte David, who retired this offseason.

"He has that Lavonte David focus. That area down there in Miami, those guys are just Jesus 1A and Football 1B," Foote said. "Those guys love ball. Even when it's break time, he ain't pulling his phone out like the rest of them. He was all about ball, so we're excited to have him."

It's far too early to tell just good Bain will be, and that's something Foote certainly knows, but Foote will work with Bain to coach him up and attempt to turn him into the edge rusher everyone in Tampa Bay seems to think he can be. That next step will be during OTAs, which begin on May 26 for the Buccaneers.

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