Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris had a special visitor Friday at training camp; his former coach at Hofstra, Joe Gardi.

Gardi was a coach at Hofstra for 16 years before retiring after the 2005 season, and apparently has remained close with his former safety.

"I knew he was going to be a coach when I heard him on the field," Gardi said.  "The enthusiasm Raheem has, the love of the game, every day with him was a show. Not many people loved practice like him and Lance. He was always coaching, always vocal."

Gardi said he once had a conversation with former Jets coach Herm Edwards, pointing to Morris working out and saying, "Keep your eye on this kid, he's gonna be in the NFL someday."

And Gardi said Morris may have had a shot, had he not had to move Morris to corner. He said corners were tough to come by in Division I-AA, but he had two great safeties in Morris and Lance Schulters.

"They used to lay out my receivers like it was going out of style,” Gardi said. “And they’d do a lot of talking.”

-- JOE SMITH

joesmith@sptimes.com