SARASOTA, Fla. - For as long as JC Cornell can remember, he’s been a Bucs fan.

“My dad took me to the first Bucs game at Raymond James Stadium (September 20, 1998) and ever since then I have been a fanatic,” said Cornell.

Even though he left the Bay Area as a child, his love for the Bucs never wavered. A moment he will treasure forever is watching the Bucs win Super Bowl XXXVII over the Oakland Raiders in Connecticut.

“One of my good friends threw a party at his house for me because I was obviously the only Bucs fans up in Connecticut," said Cornell. "And I just remember that was one of the best days of my life to this day.”

As JC grew up, his interest in the Bucs shifted from seeing his team be good to seeing how they get to be good – and that happens through the NFL Draft.

“My first pick that I remember getting really excited for was when Jon Gruden picked Cadillac Williams (in the 2005 NFL Draft),” said Cornell. “That’s when I really started studying the draft and I have done it ever since.”

The draft is his Christmas. It’s a holiday he shared with his wife, Allison, early on in their relationship.

“Our first date, I took my wife to the NFL Draft,” Cornell said with a laugh. "It seemed to work because we are married now with two kids."  

“It was just mind-blowing to see it for the first time and to actually be there,” said Allison Cornell. "I knew nothing about the draft or football, really, but now I do thanks to my husband."  

THE DRAFT NETWORK WILL BE STREAMING A DRAFT SHOW LIVE FROM NASHVILLE STARTING THURSDAY NIGHT.


 Now living in Sarasota, JC is focusing on his passion and his new business – The Draft Network. It’s a company he started last summer to give NFL fans a new and fresh take on the Draft.

“We have so much knowledge on our staff," said Cornell. "And our guys know more about these players than the guys on TV do. Especially those Day 2 or Day 3 guys, they’ll give you everything you need to know about those guys.”

Living in the Bay Area also allows JC the ability to focus on his childhood team – The Bucs. He’s brought in local draft reporter Trevor Sikkema to help in that coverage.

"I think we have over 300-400 prospects on our website that have at least one scouting report on them," said Sikkema. "So, we feel like we are going to be the most prepared draft network out there."

JC is very much involved with Bucs coverage – he’s even gone on record saying to LSU linebacker Devin White is the player he would like the Bucs to draft in the first round.

“When you back a guy in the draft and a team drafts him you better hope he does well because your name is stamped on that if your talking about him on Twitter,” said Cornell.  

JC expects the Bucs to focus on their defense, but says there could be a surprise or two in store for the fans. Just know that when you’re living through the ups and downs of the Draft, so is JC; a fan who turned his passion into a career.