A welcome surprise

The Bucs are hoping Bain can do the same for their once-proud defense under Todd Bowles, which slumped dramatically last season.

“I’d be lying if I said (Thursday) that Todd and I were going into the draft thinking there would be a good chance of getting Rueben,” general manager Jason Licht said Friday. “A lot of times we say surprises suck, but this surprise did not suck.”

Friday was a whirlwind day for Bain and his family, who attended the NFL draft on Thursday in Pittsburgh. They boarded a private jet and flew to Tampa, arriving at One Buc Place for an introductory news conference.

Bain showed up with an entourage of eight friends and family members. They toured the facility, pausing at the picture in the hallway of Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp, who spoke with Bain on the phone Friday. ”He was telling me this is his city," Bain said of his fellow Hurricane. “Telling me good luck, and there’s a standard to live up to.”

After meeting with the media, it was off to the indoor facility and a roundtable with several hundred Krewe Members and a panel discussion with Ring of Honor tight end Jimmie Giles and receiver Emeka Egbuka, last year’s first-round pick.

Giles took over and led the crowd in a chant of ”Tampa! Bain! Tampa! Bain!”

Immediate impact

Expect Bain to announce his arrival loudly as a rookie. As a high school freshman, an injury forced him into the lineup at Miami Central High School, and his play prevented coaches from ever removing him.

“He just took off like his fuel was lit,” said Miami Central defensive line coach Jamal Sheffield.

That said, progress will be based on his schedule. Sheffield said Bain nearly missed the bus to his first of two state championship games.

”I had a test to do," Bain explained. “We got the pass to miss it, but I felt I was ready, so I went home and studied for it. I took it, and when it was time to leave, I almost missed the bus. I had to jump the gate and run after the bus. I made it, though.”

Cristobal correctly predicted Bain would make a successful leap from high school to ACC Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2023.

“With certain people, you know,” Cristobal said. “I mean, we don’t make those statements often, but guys like (former Oregon tackle) Penei Sewell and (quarterback Justin) Herbert and (edge rusher) Kayvon Thibodeaux, (Bain) was a guy that I knew was really special. And again, he’s only been in college for three years. Twenty-one years old.”

A perfect match

Cristobal believes the Bucs defense is the perfect fit for Bain. At Miami, he was coached by Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor, who played for Bowles when he was the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator.

“He told me it was the perfect place to be because of the kind of player I am and the kind of coach Bowles is,” Bain said. “He’s just speaking from experience. It’s not like he’s talking out of his ass. Coach J.T., I feel like he prepared me to get ready for any place I would go.”

Bowles tries to create chaos with multiple defensive fronts, and Bain is capable of playing anywhere on the defensive line. Cristobal exploited that versatility at Miami and said he only wishes he had played Bain on offense, too.

“He can play everywhere, man,” Cristobal said. “You should see him drop into coverage and catch passes. My only regret is that I didn’t put him in at the goal line as a tight end or fullback, because he’s a bludgeoning instrument. I mean, despite all those creative pass rush moves, he goes right through people.

“I thought it was great down the playoff stretch, offensive linemen on the other team would have their very confident press conference, and after the game, there was a lot of humility served. I think it’s just the fact that until you play him, you don’t realize just how incredibly explosive, relentless and physical he is. He’s a game-changer, and I’m super happy for Tampa Bay and super happy for him.”

When Bain was drafted, he was supposed to follow the tradition of stopping at a mirror backstage to put on his new team’s hat before walking out to meet NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Bain snatched the hat but marched defiantly straight to the stage to greet Goodell.

“I feel like it’s all about business,” Bain said of the moment that became viral on social media. “I’m not about the glitz and the glamour.”

Hometown homage

For the draft, Bain outfitted his family in brown suits, a nod to his hometown of Brownsville, located about 6 miles north of Miami. The inside of his suit paid homage to his hometown and the house on 50 Street where his paternal grandmother, Connie Bain, lived and the family often gathered.

“That’s where all my cousins came to spend time. That’s where we really got tight and made our connections and relationships,’’ Bain said. “I really view my cousins as my brothers and sisters, that’s how much we were together every week.

“It was the love. Even if there were arguments and fights, there was still love between those arguments and fights. I was the youngest. I watched the dog whenever everybody had stuff to do.”

Growing up in Miami, Bain wanted to be a basketball player and was influenced by the success of (then-Heat star) LeBron James. “Then I stopped growing at 13,” he said.

He knew football would be his thing.

“He has no hobbies. It’s just football,” Cristobal said. “He’s a football guy, and as a coach I think you appreciate young men who come in with a certain maturity level. ... This was a guy who already knew that early was on time, and going above and beyond, coming in early and staying late and getting extra work, is the key.

“It’s DNA. It’s the standard. He instantly was a boost to the culture, and then as time went on began enhancing the culture with leadership and being more vocal. And on a daily basis after practice, him and (tackle Francis) Mauigoa, (tackle Markel) Bell and (linebacker) Akheem Mesidor, it looked like Jurassic Park.”

But Cristobal did offer a warning to Bowles when it comes to coaching Bain.

“I mean, the only issue you’ll ever have with Rueben Bain Jr. is if you want to pull him out for a series so he can catch his breath,” Cristobal said. “He’s going to tell you, ‘No. Let me keep going.’ That’s the only issue I ever had.”

• • •

Sign up for our Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.

Every weekday, tune into our Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast to hear reporter Rick Stroud break down the biggest stories in Tampa Bay sports.

Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on X and Facebook.