The Bucs just faced the Jacksonville Jaguars in preseason, and open their 2017 season at the Miami Dolphins. So with the state's NFL competition ahead of and just behind the Bucs, who do you think is the NFL player most searched on Google by Floridians?
We posted a generic Bucs photo as the image on this story to give you an extra minute to think on the challenge and not give away the answer. It's not Jacksonville's Blake Bortles or rookie running back Leonard Fournette. It's not Miami's Ndamukong Suh or injured quarterback Ryan Tannehill or even new quarterback Jay Cutler.
No, the most searched NFL player in Florida is a tie between two Bucs teammates, according to a study by CableTV.com and Go.Frontier.com. Receiver Mike Evans -- who turned 24 on Monday --got his name on the map as winning the state of Florida's searches, though the fine print credits him as being tied with quarterback Jameis Winston.
Evans made the Pro Bowl last year, and has twice in his three NFL seasons set the team record with 12 touchdown catches. It makes sense he would do well in Florida, but according to the study, he also was the most-searched NFL player in ... Vermont. No tie, just Evans winning Vermont. So much for the Patriots being "New England."
The study didn't release its raw data, and we had to raise an eyebrow when Tom Brady couldn't even carry Massachusetts -- they list him as tied for the state's most searches, with Julian Edelman, LeGarrette Blount (!) and Malcolm Butler (!!).
Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who has been to five Pro Bowls in the last five seasons, is credited with tying for the most-searched in Oklahoma, along with former Sooners star DeMarco Murray.
Sign up for Bucs Red Zone
A daily report of whats happening inside the locker room and on the field.
Sign up for our other newsletters
(View our Privacy Policy)
(View our Privacy Policy)