Remarkable video shows 322-pound Bucs first-round pick Tristan Wirfs LEAPING out of a pool onto his feet – and now the offensive tackle will use that athleticism to protect Tom Brady
- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs 13th overall in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night
- Video of the 6-foot-5, 322-pound Wirfs leaping out of a pool and onto the surrounding deck went viral shortly after he was selected on Thursday
- Wirfs is seen crouching in the pool and nearly submerging his head before launching himself up and over the side of the pool amid a cascade of water
- The Bucs were in need of a right tackle before signing Tom Brady last month
- Wirfs was a 1-year-old when Brady’s career began with the Patriots in 2000
The Buccaneers drafted Tristan Wirfs to address an opening at right tackle
Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round pick Tristan Wirfs weighs well over 300 pounds, but the offensive tackle and Tom Brady’s newest blocker is still athletic enough to launch himself out of an in-ground swimming pool onto the surrounding patio.
Video of the 21-year-old Iowa Hawkeyes star nearly submerging himself under water and leaping onto solid ground went viral again after he was taken with the 13th-overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.
Wirfs, listed at 6-foot-5 and 322 pounds, is seen along the side of the pool crouching down until his head is nearly below the surface. Then, in slow motion, Wirfs is seen shooting up and over the side of the pool as water cascades around him.
Somehow he managed to stick the landing.
‘If your draft pick jumps out of a pool, he is automatically good,’ wrote the Barstool Sports Instagram account, which re-posted the video. ‘That’s the rules.’
Wirfs, listed at 6-foot-5 and 322 pounds, is seen along the side of the pool, first crouching down until his head below the surface
Then, in slow motion, Wirfs is seen shooting up and over the side of the pool as water cascades around him and onto the pool deck.
Somehow Tristan Wirfs managed to stick the landing after jumping out from the pool
The Buccaneers’ need for an offensive tackle became obvious Wirfs after the team signed Brady to a two-year, $50 million deal last month. The team does have left tackle Donovan Smith but recently created an opening on the other side by letting right tackle Donovan Smith’s contract expire.
But even if Wirfs is not guarding Brady’s blind side next season, he still recognizes the opportunity he has to play alongside a six-time Super Bowl champion and perhaps the NFL’s most decorated player ever.
‘It’s pretty crazy to think about. Tom Brady’s been in the league since 2000. I was born in 1999,’ Wirfs said Thursday night. ‘He’s been in the league almost as long as I’ve been alive. It’s pretty cool to be able to protect him.’
With Wirfs still available at No. 13, the Bucs didn’t wait any longer to fill a need that general manager Jason Licht said the team would have needed to address even if they hadn’t signed Brady to a two-year, $50 million contract.
‘It doesn’t matter who’s playing quarterback,’ the GM said. ‘You’ve got to be able to keep him upright.’
Tom Brady has weapons in Tampa, like longtime teammate Rob Gronkowski and receiver Mike Evans. The 42-year-old will also need time to throw the football, which is where Wirfs comes in
Shortly after signing Brady, Arians said he didn’t believe a mostly veteran offensive line featuring Smith, center Ryan Jensen and guards Ali Marpet and Alex Cappa was in need of a significant upgrade.
The Bucs have signed former Indianapolis tackle Joe Haeg, who started 35 games over four seasons with the Colts .
‘When you look back at the grades last year – I don’t put a lot of stock into what other people grade our guys – they were graded pretty high,’ Arians, preparing for his second season with the Bucs, said at the time.
‘I thought Donovan got a lot better. I think he’ll get even more intense with Tom back there at quarterback than he has been, but he did play extremely well last year,’ Arians added. ‘Ali is solid. Ryan had a heck of a year. Cappa, I thought had a fantastic year for a young guy. … I don’t see it as a glaring need, but you’re always looking to upgrade somewhere.’
The Bucs have the 13th pick in the second round – No. 45 overall – and could be in the market for a running back to pair with third-year pro Ronald Jones. A third receiver is a possibility in the later rounds, when Arians and Licht will also look to add depth on defense.
In this still image from video provided by the NFL, Tristan Wirfs talks on the phone during the NFL football draft Thursday, April 23