TAMPA, FL - Jaelon Darden can move.

“Being able to make guys miss, I feel like that’s what I do best,” said the Bucs’ rookie wide receiver.

He’s already turning heads in just two short days of practice.

“He’s super quick,” said Bucs head coach Bruce Arians. “Super quick and fast and catches the football extremely easily so, yea, he can be very explosive.”

It’s easy to spot Darden on the field. He’s the little guy running around in the number one. While NFL players are celebrating the ability to wear the single digits of their youth or college days, Darden is cherishing that number for a whole different reason.

“My dad (saw) me play in #1 so that means more to me than anything,” said Darden.

Jaelon’s father passed away, suddenly, last summer. He was in surgery when he suffered a heart attack.

“It’s definitely been a hard time,” Darden said of the last year.

Darden played his final season at North Texas with a purpose – it led to him catching 19 touchdowns en route to being named Conference USA’s Most Valuable Player, as well as a consensus All-American. When the Bucs took Darden in the 4^th round of this year’s draft, it was a bittersweet moment.

“The toughest part was when I got drafted, because he wasn’t there with me,” said Darden.

Now as Darden begins his NFL career, he will lean on his coaches to improve each day as a player. But when it comes to being a better human being, he turns to the teachings of his dad.

“He really didn’t have a say so in my football life, more so as a man,” Darden said. “Giving me tips and bits on how to treat women and how to go about my day with ‘yes sir, no ma’am’ and just maturing as a man.”

Character is an important part of the Bucs’ draft process. Buying in is another key element. Bruce Arians and the Bucs expect big things from Jaelon Darden. They know their new wide receiver is trying to make his dad proud on the field, but more importantly, off of it.