COLUMBIA — To make it clear, Ryan Succop has never kicked a seven-pound football. He understands why he’s asked.
A month after Succop and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers crushed Kansas City, 31-9, in Super Bowl LV, more attention was paid to the celebration than the dominating victory. That was when ageless quarterback Tom Brady, cradling the seventh Lombardi Trophy of his career and perhaps fortified by a few too many adult beverages, saw tight end Rob Gronkowski in a crowd of defenders.
Brady tossed the trophy across 10 to 15 feet of open water during the boat-parade party, causing several NFL purists to upchuck their quail eggs. Gronkowski caught it, no harm done, but when talking with Succop, a natural wonder was if booting the seven-pound Lombardi to another boat ever crossed his mind.
“I don’t think that’d work as well,” Succop demurred. “That boat parade was awesome, though. That beats a bus parade 10 times out of 10.”
It was a crazy but joyous ending to a crazy but joyous season. Succop, who will turn 35 during the beginning of next season, his 13th in the NFL, won his first Super Bowl after he came into the year with his career nearly on ice.
“This was probably the most rewarding season because of what I went through the year before,” he said. “It’s exciting to come back and bounce back and have the season that I did. When you go through adversity, you let it get you down or use it as motivation. I probably had one of the best seasons of my career.”
Selected by Kansas City with the last pick of the 2009 NFL Draft, which earned him the honor of “Mr. Irrelevant,” the South Carolina graduate had a strong five years with the Chiefs before being released after the 2013 season. He signed with Tennessee, where he had another strong five years.
Succop had knee surgery before the 2019 season and while he kicked in the preseason, he began the regular season on injured reserve and was obliged to sit out the first eight weeks. He returned but never got on track, converting just one of six field goal attempts, which led to his release during the offseason.
Former Clemson punter Bradley Pinion (left) and former South Carolina kicker Ryan Succop were teammates on this year's Super Bowl champion. Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Provided
It’s a business and Succop understood the Titans couldn’t just reward his loyalty to them and the fact that he was battling to get back to full strength, yet it still stung to hear he was gone and then have to wonder if he would ever get another chance.
But he kept rehabbing, got back in shape and hoped for a call, which came from Tampa Bay just before the 2020 season began (ironically, the Bucs cut Gamecock alum Elliott Fry to make room for Succop). And when he trotted out for that first PAT attempt against New Orleans in Game 1, he banged it through and noticed how normal it felt.
“A lot of it is just knowing your body and really understanding ways to train that feel good, not put much stress on your back,” Succop said. “Working with our strength staff in Tampa, they had my body feeling as good as it’s ever felt my whole career.”
He wound up tying his career-best with 28 field goals, and a career-best 90.3 percent conversion rate. In the playoffs, he was 8 for 8 in field goals and 8 for 9 in PATs.
He nailed a 52-yard field goal in the Super Bowl. After the game, he could be seen running through the confetti looking for his wife, Paige, and his two children (a third will arrive in spring).
“That was certainly the pinnacle on-field moment of my career,” Succop said. “Before that one, I hit a 53-yard field goal in Kansas City with Tennessee. It was the coldest game in Arrowhead Stadium history, zero degrees, with a minus-18 wind chill.
“That was sweet because they cut me. I never thought I’d be able to top that. But seeing my kids play in the confetti when we won, that was the moment.”
Succop and his wife used to live in Mount Pleasant during offseasons but are now in Nashville. They survived the snow-pocalypse and he’s been catching up with Dad duty while preparing for the next step.
The free agency period begins on March 17 and Succop just finished his last contract year. He had a magnificent season, capped by a Super Bowl win, so he figures on taking some phone calls. He’s already back in training, although the on-field work won’t start until at least May.
The Lombardi Trophy is snug in a case in Tampa after the parade. It isn’t like the NHL’s Stanley Cup, which each player gets to keep for 24 hours.
That’s OK with Succop. He got to hold the seven-pound silver football after winning it.
“That was good enough for me,” he said. “And I get a ring to go along with it.”
The Link LonkMarch 09, 2021 at 01:00AM
https://www.postandcourier.com/sports/carolina/gamecock-alum-ryan-succop-will-never-forget-holding-super-bowl-trophy-or-the-confetti/article_a9c735ea-8029-11eb-b7b1-ef37d45ceac6.html
Gamecock alum Ryan Succop will never forget holding Super Bowl trophy, or the confetti - Charleston Post Courier
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