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Bucs show love for small-school talent (w/video)

 
Buccaneers wide receiver Donteea Dye (17) runs the ball after making a catch during training camp at One Buc Place in Tampa on Monday, August 17, 2015. OCTAVIO JONES   |   Times
Buccaneers wide receiver Donteea Dye (17) runs the ball after making a catch during training camp at One Buc Place in Tampa on Monday, August 17, 2015. OCTAVIO JONES | Times
Published Oct. 10, 2015

Bucs general manager Jason Licht finished his college football career at tiny Nebraska Wesleyan, and his small-school roots can be seen on the Bucs' roster, which will have two players from Division III this weekend as receiver Donteea Dye makes his NFL debut, joining rookie guard Ali Marpet.

Dye played at Heidelberg in Ohio, while Marpet played at Hobart College in New York — there were only nine Division III players on NFL rosters at the start of the season, and the Bucs are one of two NFL teams with more than one, joining the Redskins.

The Bucs have another small-school debut this weekend — defensive end Howard Jones is on the active roster after four weeks on the practice squad, and he played at Division II Shepherd University in West Virginia.