TAMPA, Fla. — Jack Pyburn didn't hear his name called on NFL Draft day. Now, the undrafted edge rusher is making sure the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can't ignore him.
Pyburn spent three years at Florida and one at LSU before going undrafted. He signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent and made an immediate impression in the preseason, recording 3 tackles and 2 sacks against the New York Jets.
"At the end of the day, my entire college career, I don't think I worked hard enough," Pyburn said.
WATCH: Bucs undrafted edge rusher Jack Pyburn pushes to make the 53-man roster
He didn't shy away from the reality of draft day.
"And when I sat on my couch on the day of [the] draft and I didn't get drafted, I had to look myself in the mirror and decide, 'Who do I want to be?' You know, do I want to say, 'Why me? Why me?' or do I want to say, 'Why not me?' In that moment, I chose 'Why not me?' And I have worked harder than I have ever worked in my life, and I'm going to continue to work even harder," Pyburn said.
Head coach Todd Bowles took notice of Pyburn's preseason performance.
"He made us watch it. He made it known, and we're going to see what he does going forward, but he definitely made an impression," Bowles said.
Despite the standout showing, Pyburn remains focused on the process rather than the results.
"A lot of times in my career, especially in college, you know, it's hard not to look at the outcome of things and get focused on those things, but, you know, kind of throughout my whole process, I just learned to be process-oriented. So, it's expected for me – I expect to go out there and dominate, play my best, and every time I step out on the field, I'm going to give it everything I have," Pyburn said.
That process-oriented mindset extends beyond the field. The 22-year-old deleted his social media accounts to eliminate distractions.
"I haven't had it in months. I simply do not need it. I don't need it in my life. I cut out all the distractions that I didn't need in my life. I feel like it was hindering me, because at the end of the day it doesn't matter what anyone else says about me. It's what I believe," Pyburn said.
Pyburn also faces a significant decision off the field. He was recently granted a restraining order to return to college for a fifth year of eligibility — a ruling that came after he had already joined the Buccaneers. For now, his sights are set on making an NFL roster.
"Simply, this is everything I ever wanted since I was a kid. My screensaver is me as a little kid playing football, and it says 'Do it for him.' I look at that everyday when I wake up at 4:30 a.m.," Pyburn said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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