Ayden Garnes made his loudest noise in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniform with a 47-yard pick-six against the New York Jets, but the undrafted rookie cornerback had already done something far bigger before that play ever happened.
Garnes, who has been one of the standouts of Buccaneers training camp, helped swing Tampa Bay’s preseason opener with the kind of moment that can change a roster conversation fast. His interception return helped fuel the Bucs’ 24-16 comeback win, and after the offseason he’s put together, it’s getting harder to imagine Tampa Bay letting him slip away. The injury earlier in OTAs to possible starting CB Benjamin Morrison, who is facing enormous pressure to prove himself this year, also created more room for Garnes to make his case, and he’s taken full advantage.
But the football story only tells part of who he is.
Before his rise with the Bucs, Garnes began his college career at Duquesne University, where the football program took part in an annual bone marrow donation drive to support the Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation and add donors to the Be The Match registry. Everyone in the program gave a simple swab and was entered into the database. Garnes was the only one who matched.
When he learned his bone marrow could save the life of a woman in her 20s living outside the USA, he immediately agreed to go through with the procedure. Ahead of the January 2023 surgery in Boston, he described what the process would involve to CBS Pittsburgh:
"It's going to be two incisions on the side of my hips, on the side of my hips and they are going to go in, and they can make over 100 incisions inside, but it's going to look like it's one incision outside."
Duquesne defensive coordinator Michael Craig later summed up the decision this way:
"He's a quality young person that represents our university really well and our football program really well and this is just another feather in his cap for the type of man he is,"
Garnes didn’t miss any games after the surgery and returned strong for the Dukes in the 2023 season. He then transferred to West Virginia the following year and finished his college career at Arizona last year.
Teams around the NFL always talk about high-character players. Tampa Bay may have found one. Garnes is fighting to prove he belongs on the field, but he already proved something much more important off it.
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Tristan Wirfs finally got back on the field for the Buccaneers during their joint practice with the Jets, a welcome sight for an offense that has been waiting to see its Pro Bowl tackle ramp up for training camp. Backup quarterback Jake Browning also returned after missing a preseason game with a back strain, while linebacker Christian Rozeboom was sidelined, adding another layer to a practice day that already carried some lineup shuffling.
The concern moment came with Emeka Egbuka, who left early after a lower-body toe issue while working against New York. The rookies departure briefly changed the tone of the session, even if the injury is not viewed as a long-term problem, and Tampa Bay will be watching closely to see how he responds as camp moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Defense Flashed As Tampa Bay Got A Crucial Camp Boost
The Buccaneers got a useful jolt at training camp practice as they continued preparing for their preseason matchup with Kansas City, and the defense made sure it was the group drawing attention. Jacob Parrish, David Walker and Yaya Diaby were among the standouts, with the unit stacking up pass breakups and sacks while showing the kind of activity Tampa Bay has been looking for as camp rolls on.
There was also a welcome sign on the injury front, with Tristan Wirfs, Benjamin Morrison and S JJ Roberts back on the practice field. The defensive highlights kept coming as the day went on, including takeaways that helped underline how sharp the group looked, even if there is still more to learn about how quickly that momentum can carry into game action. [Read more 🡒]