Todd Bowles isn’t typically one to wear his heart on his sleeve (or anywhere else, for that matter).
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach is known for his calm demeanor and stoicism, a result of his decade-plus on the sidelines of the NFL. It’s rare to see him get angry in any way.
He took a different stance Wednesday. Asked at a news conference about his feelings regarding Sunday’s season opener against the Washington Commanders, Bowles opened up.
“It’s exciting,” Bowles said, slapping his hands on the podium.
He and the Bucs press corps burst out laughing, everyone getting the joke.
“That’s a meme, Coach,” an off-camera reporter responded as Bowles continued to smile.
Bowles then continued with his response.
“You always get butterflies in your stomach when you walk out on the field,” he continued. “It’s opening day in the NFL.”
The laughter continued, both from Bowles and from the members of the media present.
It was a rare moment of public emotional candor from the Bucs coach, indicative of the excitement that the start of a new season brings to all 32 NFL teams, the media that cover them and their fans. Few occasions are more hopeful for NFL teams than the moments leading up to Opening Day.
While it’s not a regular occurrence, Wednesday wasn’t the first time we’ve seen Bowles let loose. He let out a similar scream during a press conference in 2017, when he was head coach of the New York Jets.
What happened that day? The journalists had run out of questions to ask him.