Hours after word broke that former University of Florida running back and silver medal-winning Olympic sprinter Jeff Demps had filed papers with the NFL to pursue a professional football career, there are apparently several teams interested.
However, the only one that's actually been discussed on record so far is Tampa Bay, where the Buccaneers are looking to make an impact under new head coach Greg Schiano. Agent Daniel Rose confirmed to Stephen Holder of the Tampa Bay Times that the Bucs have made their interest known, but would not say what other teams are pursuing the former Gator.
Demps was projected as a fifth or sixth round draft pick before he made it known that he was planning on focusing on his track career heading into the 2012 Olympics in London, where he was part of the American 4 x 100 meter relay team that won a silver medal. While he went undrafted - and likely set himself back somewhat as a football player - due to that decision, there are obvious attractions based both on his Olympic-class speed and his play at Florida, where he averaged 5.8 yards per carry as a senior and helped the Gators to a national championship as a freshman.
Demps was an all-purpose star for Florida, racking up nearly 3600 yards over four years on runs, receptions, and kick returns. As a result, he could certainly be a strong addition to an NFL team as a special teams threat while he readjusts to football, and while Tampa has a capable return man in third-year pro Preston Parker, there's no reason to believe that Demps couldn't be an improvement there. As for running back, the Bucs are well stocked with third-year pro LaGarrette Blount and rookie Doug Martin, but having Demps in the mix certainly couldn't hurt. And, naturally, keeping a Florida star like Demps in the Sunshine State is a good PR move for a Tampa Bay team that's seen some lean years.
Will Demps wind up in Tampa? That will depend on who else is interested. However, there are certainly worse ideas.
