The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are refusing to hit the panic button. In the fast-paced, high-stakes environment of the National Football League, nobody ever wants to begin a grueling campaign winless through the first three games. Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, that is precisely the reality they are facing as they sit at an uncharacteristic 0-3 to open the year. Complicating matters significantly is a major personnel hurdle: the team is going to be without starting quarterback Baker Mayfield for the foreseeable future due to a thumb injury. With their offensive leader sidelined, Tampa Bay will inevitably need to shift its strategic focus and lean heavily on the ground game to weather the storm.
Enter running back Kenny Gainwell.
Gainwell has steadily built a reputation throughout his professional career for the hard-nosed stints he logged in Pennsylvania with both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers. This past offseason, looking for a new opportunity and a chance to make a distinct impact, Gainwell chose to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The objective was clear from the start: provide a dynamic one-two punch in the backfield alongside talented rusher Bucky Irving. As circumstances have unfolded, Tampa Bay is going to need that rushing tandem more than ever during this challenging upcoming stretch of the schedule.
Amid the early-season adversity, Kenny recently took the time to sit down for a discussion regarding the current state of the Buccaneers season, along with a handful of other engaging subjects.
During the conversation, Gainwell emphasized that the absolute key to navigating this rough patch is to keep things calm and maintain an unwavering focus moving forward. In the NFL, a team can only climb out of an 0-3 hole one step at a time, and it is abundantly clear that Gainwell intends to help lead his teammates through this exact process.
Gainwell possesses a rich history of being surrounded by great coaching minds throughout his football journey, including a personal favorite of many in Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham. Because of these formative experiences, it becomes evident that Kenny’s sense of calm stems from having thoroughly experienced the inevitable trials and tribulations that competitive football can offer. In this league, players must always be ready for anything that the game throws their way, and it is clear that Kenny is prepared for the challenge. Hopefully, the rest of the Buccaneers locker room is ready to match that resilience.
In addition to possessing a level head and a strong work ethic, Kenny also maintains a bright presence—something that the folks at Oral-B and Crest help make possible. As the Official Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Floss, and Mouthwash of the NFL, Oral-B and Crest are giving fans even more ways to celebrate their genuine love of the game this season through new special-edition products featuring seven fan-favorite NFL teams.
Both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys—the team covered by the interviewer—happen to be proudly represented in this special group. Capitalizing on the partnership, Kenny and the interviewer even made a fun little wager ahead of the upcoming Thursday night matchup between the Buccaneers and the Cowboys. Under the terms of the friendly bet, the loser has to brush their teeth using the toothbrush and toothpaste featuring the branding of the winner’s team. It is the kind of lighthearted wager where, regardless of the final score on the gridiron, everybody involved wins in terms of personal hygiene and good fun.
As the Buccaneers prepare to turn their season around, the focus remains squarely on execution, teamwork, and resilience on the field. Thanks go out to Kenny Gainwell, along with the teams at Oral-B and Crest, for taking the time to share these insights. Hopefully, the entire Tampa Bay roster will have plenty of reasons to smile by the time the calendar turns toward Halloween—with the sole exception, perhaps, of whatever transpires during that upcoming Thursday night showdown against Dallas.