The Buccaneers are off to a scorching hot 3-1 start with Baker Mayfield slinging the ball as well as he was last season, but a new weapon on Tampa's offense could be a difference-maker as the season plays out.
Rookie fourth-round pick Bucky Irving has impressed to start his NFL career, quickly earning carries alongside Rachaad White and securing the trust of new offensive coordinator Liam Coen.
Tampa reached the divisional round of the playoffs last season, but an inefficient running game was the difference between the Buccaneers' offense and the four offenses that made it to the conference championship games. Irving is helping the team solve that issue.
His real name can't be Bucky, right? Here's what you need to know about Irving's name and where he got his nickname.
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What's Bucky Irving real name?
Irving's birth name is Mar'Keise Irving. Bucky is a nickname, but he's officially listed by the Buccaneers by the name Bucky Irving much like Sauce Gardner and Tank Dell go by their nicknames.
So, where did Bucky come from? He told 247 Sports in 2022 that the nickname was given to him by his late father when he was a child.
"I just grew up with it. When I was younger my dad called me that. He’s passed away now and it just stuck with me," Irving said. Irving was just two years old when his father died, but the name carried on.
Irving went by Mar'Keise Irving when he started his college career at Minnesota, but he committed to "Bucky" when he transferred to Oregon in 2022.
Irving actually earned the nickname "Bucko" during his time at Minnesota, due at least partly to those around the team not wanting to reference rival Wisconsin's mascot, Bucky, but Irving chose to stick with "Bucky" after leaving the Golden Gophers.
Now thriving in the NFL, Irving is taking his nickname to the national stage. The Buccaneers rookie has 203 rushing yards on 5.8 yards per carry through four games, and he earned a season-high 11 touches in Week 4 as he evenly split carries with White.
Bucky Irving college stats
Irving was an often overlooked piece of Oregon's loaded offense led by Bo Nix in 2022 and 2023, but he's proving his worth at the NFL level.
Here's a look at Irving's stats from his college career:
| Season | School | Games | Rush yards | Rush TD | Yards/carry | Total yards |
| 2021 | Minnesota | 12 | 699 | 4 | 5.3 | 772 |
| 2022 | Oregon | 13 | 1,058 | 5 | 6.8 | 1,357 |
| 2023 | Oregon | 14 | 1,180 | 11 | 6.3 | 1,563 |
| Career | 39 | 2,937 | 20 | 6.2 | 3,722 |
Irving recorded two 1,000-yard rushing seasons in college, both with the Ducks, and he posted more than 1,500 scrimmage yards last season with Oregon in the playoff hunt.
The Buccaneers were happy to snatch Irving up late in the fourth round in April, and his workload indicates they already view him as an important piece of their offense.
