Ramon Jefferson Signs with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ramon Jefferson made the most out of his NFL tryout. The former Kentucky running back was one of 26 players invited to try out for the Buccaneers at the team’s rookie minicamp. Following the event, he signed a deal to stay in Tampa Bay.
It’s a wonderful bookend for a surprising story. Liam Coen recruited Jefferson as a high schooler in the Bronx in the spring of 2017. Jefferson was a redshirt at Maine for Coen’s one season as the Black Bears’ offensive coordinator. Last fall they once again shared a sideline at Kentucky. The two will be reunited once again in Tampa Bay.
Jefferson was a college football journeyman who went through adversity at multiple turns. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a redshirt freshman at Maine, then went through the JUCO route at Garden City Community College.
Jefferson became a star in the FCS ranks at Sam Houston State. He helped the BearKats reach the FCS National Championship during the spring 2021 season. That fall he was a second team All-American for posting 1,155 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
Following success at Sam Houston State, Jefferson looked to capitalize on one final season of eligibility at the Power Five level. Unfortunately, his Super Senior season at Kentucky was ended by a knee injury on his second carry. He received a waiver to play for the Wildcats in 2023 but was relegated to a tertiary role behind Ray Davis.
Jefferson totaled 28 carries for 184 yards, most of which came in the back half of the season. He toted the rock six times for 50 yards at South Carolina and had a 74-yard run against Alabama, the longest rush in school history against the Crimson Tide.
Jefferson had an outstanding performance at UK Pro Day, doing enough to capture the attention of the Bucs. Now he’ll get a shot to play on Sundays. The Big Blue Nation will be cheering for Jefferson to survive the cuts during training camp this summer in Tampa Bay.
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