— Gerald McCoy says he’s approaching his ninth training camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the same way he has all the others.

The six-time Pro Bowl selection really doesn’t feel there’s any reason to change because attitude is a big part of his success.

“I always try and stay in the rookie mindset Justin Hardy Jersey , always willing to learn more, knowing I can learn more, and just do my best to learn more,” the 29-year-old defensive tackle said.

“I’m not Gerald McCoy. I’m No. 93 on a 91-man roster, trying to make the team. Once I make the team, then I’ll be Gerald McCoy. … Until then, I’m just another guy trying to make the team.”

It’s not the first time a player of his stature has claimed the same thing, but there’s no disputing the 6-foot-4, 300-pound McCoy’s desire to get better and help the Bucs re-emerge as contenders.

Tampa Bay has missed the playoffs the past 10 seasons, the second-longest drought in the NFL behind the Cleveland Browns, who haven’t earned a playoff berth since 2002.

McCoy, who has 48½ career sacks and has been selected to play in six consecutive Pro Bowls, was the third overall pick in the 2010 draft.

Personal success, however, has been bittersweet.

A year ago, Tampa Bay’s defense ranked at or near the bottom of league rankings in several key categories, including passing, total yards and points allowed, as well as sacks and third-down efficiency.

General manager Jason Licht and coach Dirk Koetter are counting on the trend changing after upgrading around McCoy with the offseason acquisition of veteran defensive linemen Jason Pierre-Paul, Beau Allen Nick Boyle Jersey , Vinny Curry and Mitch Unrein, as well as first-round draft pick Vita Vea.

Pierre-Paul had 58½ sacks over the past eight seasons with the New York Giants. Allen and Curry were productive members of a deep defensive line rotation that helped the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl last winter, while Unrein was part of Denver’s AFC championship team five years ago. Vea was the 12th pick of the draft.

Understandably, McCoy is excited.

“We brought in four new guys that have all played in a Super Bowl, and three of them have won it. That’s a lot of experience. Guys who know what to do and how to do it — do it the right way,” the ninth-year pro said.

“Just the (defensive line) room overall is different, a lot of experience, and a lot of knowledge. Guys bouncing ideas off of each other, things you’ve never heard before. … It’s only just going to make us great in the long run,” McCoy added. “But, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Curry, who started every game for the Eagles last season, said the linemen are building chemistry and learning more and more about each other every day in practice.

“My biggest thing is I’m telling everyone: winning is contagious,” Curry said.

“It’s the National Football League, everybody is good,” Curry added. “It comes down to discipline and how bad do you want it.”

McCoy is doing his part, too.

In addition to picking the brains of the veteran newcomers, he has been spending extra time after practice helping some of the younger players trying to earn jobs.

McCoy recalls the early years of his career, when there weren’t any experienced defensive linemen on the team to take him under their wings.

“I can honestly say I had no help. When I say help, I mean guidance as far as how to play this (pro) game Albert McClellan Jersey , at least from a defensive line standpoint,” McCoy said. “I don’t want any D-linemen to come through Tampa, while I’m here, and be able to say that. … I never want guys to have to experience what I did.”

A look ahead to top enterprise and feature stories planned globally by AP Sports. New digests will go out each Thursday and Monday and will be repeated on other weekdays. Please note that story plans may change depending on news and other issues.

For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact AP Customer Support at apcustomersupport(at)ap.org or 877-836-9477. For reruns, call the Service Desk 800-838-4616 or your local AP bureau.

As with all our operations, we welcome and want your feedback. If you have thoughts or questions about the Sports Showcase Digest or the material listed, please reach out to Oskar Garcia, deputy sports editor for presentation and storytelling, at 215-446-6632 or at ogarcia(at)ap.org.

All times are Eastern.

—

SENT:

GLF–US OPEN

SOUTHHAMPTION, N.Y. -Such is the reputation of century-old Shinnecock Hills that everyone can’t wait to get there for the U.S. Open. No one is more excited than the USGA, the organization that runs what it calls the ultimate test in golf. Lately, this ultimate test has seemed more like a trivia quiz. Twice in the last three years, the U.S. Open has gone to courses only a decade old- Chambers Bay and Erin Hills – that featured wide fairways and the wrong kind of weather. It reached a point where Jack Nicklaus, whose name is on the gold medal awarded to the winner, feared the U.S. Open was losing its identity. Shinnecock Hills should restore that feeling as Tiger Woods returns after a three-year hiatus, and Phil Mickelson chases the elusive leg of the Grand Slam. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. SENT: 1,100 words, photos by 4 p.m. Thursday.

WITH: GLF–US OPEN-FACTS AND FIGURES, GLF–US OPEN-HOLE BY HOLE Earl Mitchell Jersey , GLF–US OPEN-YARDAGE-PAR.

GLF–US OPEN-TIGER’S LAST MAJOR

Hank Haney remembers sitting next to Tiger Woods when the doctor delivered the news: Along with shredded ligaments in his left knee, he had a double stress fracture in his leg. Typical recovery was four-to-six weeks on crutches and a month of rehab. This was 13 days before the start of the U.S. Open. ”My immediate thought was, `I’ve got the rest of the year off,”’ said Haney, his swing coach. Woods had other ideas. ”I’m playing in the U.S. Open and I’m going to win it.” And with that, he left the doctor sitting on his couch. Haney was among several people who came in contact with Woods during the course of a U.S. Open that stands as his greatest will to win. Ten years later, it also is the last major he won. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. SENT: 1,900 words, photos.

WITH: GLF–US OPEN-CAPSULES, GLF–US OPEN-TRIVIA QUIZ.

SATURDAY, June 19

GLF–US OPEN-SHINNECOCK

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – Mike Davis is making no excuses about the last time the U.S. Open was at Shinnecock Hills, when the course became so brittle that balls wouldn’t stay on the seventh green and 28 players couldn’t break 80. He also stopped just short of a pledge there won’t be a repeat 14 years later. Davis is the chief executive of the USGA who has spent more than a decade setting up the U.S. Open for the best players in the world. It has become a science with technology that measures everything from moisture in the ground to how fast grass is growing on different sections of the greens. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4 a.m. Saturday.

WITH: GLF–US OPEN-SHINNECOCK CAPSULES.

MONDAY, June 11

BRAZIL-WCUP-STICKERS

SAO PAULO – Teacher Ari Mascarenhas could have picked a high-tech gadget or flashy app to help his eighth grade students with their Portuguese language grammar, reading and text interpretation. Instead, he is finding a creative way to use something completely analog: the World Cup sticker book, which features national team players of countries getting ready to compete in Russia later this month. The album is all the rage among soccer fans in Brazil and around the world, even if it is decidedly old school. ”In such a divisive world we can still swap, trade and have something in common Coby Fleener Jersey ,” said Mascarenhas, who like many adults, does his own buying and trading of stickers. By Mauricio Savarese. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 3 a.m. Monday.

SOC–WCUP-US-BETTER IN SPANISH

NEW YORK – NBC’s Telemundo network is trying to get English viewers in the United States to watch its World Cup coverage rather than tune into Fox’s debut, taking advance of the United States’ absence with a campaign that the tournament is better in Spanish. By Ronald Blum. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4 p.m. Monday.

TUESDAY, June 12

SOC–WCUP-THE JERSEYS

NEW YORK – Spain, your asymmetry is showing. Nigeria, you’re so bright I need shades! Croatia, Russia’s fresh out of Big Boy restaurants. Those three countries and a few more are among the more festive standouts in jerseys this time around, with loads of sentimental touches in the designs of the 32 shirts rolled out over the last few months. By Leanne Italie. UPCOMING: 1,100 words, photos by 3 a.m. Tuesday.

SOC-WCUP PREVIEW

After raising the World Cup eight miles from Copacabana Beach four years ago, Germany hopes to lift the trophy four miles from the Kremlin on July 15 and become the first repeat champion in more than a half-century. The soccer world gathers at 12 stadiums in 11 cities across the European portion of Russia starting June 14 for a 32-day, 64-match championship. Much has changed since Die Mannschaft humiliated the host Selecao 7-1 in the 2014 semifinals, then left Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana Stadium with a 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina on Mario Goetze’s 113th Adidas Sergei Bobrovsky Jersey