Zyon McCollum On INT vs. Steelers: “Just The First Step”

For Bucs cornerback Zyon McCollum, his second season will be a big one for him. After going through some rookie struggles last season, he has a chance to be a key cog in the secondary as the next man up behind starting cornerbacks Carlton Davis III and Jamel Dean this year.

To do so, McCollum must sharpen both his ball skills and tackling. After picking off Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky on Friday night, he checked one of those boxes. Yet he still has some work to do to check off the other.

Zyon McCollum Discusses His INT Against Steelers

Right after the Bucs scored on a Baker Mayfield touchdown pass to Trey Palmer, the Steelers were looking to air it out for big yards to answer back. Second-year cornerback Zyon McCollum had other ideas.

McCollum played tight coverage on wide receiver Cody White on the right sideline, and as they got tangled up, White tipped the ball right into his hands to give the Bucs some momentum. McCollum discussed the play after the game.

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“They like to throw fades, so [I got my] head around quick,” McCollum said. “It was just like we practiced. He took outside release; I knew it was a fade, I got my head around, and the ball just came to me.”

To come down with the ball, it took great anticipation and concentration in the moment to adjust. Was anything different going through his mind during the play?

“Really nothing, to be honest,” McCollum answered. “You’re just so like in the moment, and I’m just seeing with my eyes, where my two feet are. I’m just thinking about intercepting the ball, the ball’s in the air. I don’t want to break it up, I want to intercept it. I know we got tangled up, so I tried to get it up, and then it just popped up perfectly for me, and I just caught it.”

While he showcased an ability to create takeaways at Sam Houston State, McCollum failed to record an interception during his rookie year in Tampa Bay. Plays like the one he had against the Steelers can be a much-needed confidence booster.

“It’s big,” McCollum added. “It lets me know that a lot of the work that I’ve been putting in is coming to fruition, and it’s just the first step, it’s just the first game. It’s good to know we’re going in the right direction, and it gives me motivation to keep doing what I’m doing and keep working hard.”

Zyon McCollum And Ronde Barber Are More Similar Than You Think

With his interception being a step in the right direction, both Zyon McCollum and the Bucs hope he can use his rookie year as motivation to take his play to the next level. There is no better route he can emulate than that of Hall of Fame cornerback Ronde Barber.

Legendary Bucs CB Ronde Barber – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Recently, Barber put McCollum up to the challenge of converting doubt to fuel. McCollum leans on his journey as motivation.

“Big time,” McCollum said. “Hearing his story and knowing what he went through his first year. Getting ridiculed by the media and the fans. [Seeing him] and how he bounced back into a Hall of Fame career. I mean, it’s the biggest motivational push I can even ask for.”

While McCollum has a ways to go in his own development, he and Barber have striking parallels – on and off the field. They include being mid-round selections, having rookie struggles, and being criticized by fans and media alike.

But before the game, Barber himself did not know their similarities extended further – both are identical twins with NFL brothers. Tristin McCollum, Zyon’s twin, is a reserve defensive back on the Eagles.

“[Ronde Barber] came up to me before the game and said he didn’t know I was a twin,” McCollum said. “He was knocking himself because he didn’t realize I was also an identical twin. I told him that when we were in elementary school, we used to read his and Tiki’s books all the time. It was pretty surreal to actually see him and have him come up to me and wish me luck before the game. Just to know our routes are similar in a way.”

There Are Still Areas Zyon McCollum Can Improve

While Zyon McCollum made one nice play, he still made Pewter Report’s Most Disappointing list against the Steelers. This was due to allowing multiple catches and not keeping contain on this 14-yard touchdown run by Steelers running back Anthony McFarland. McCollum admitted that his hesitancy on that play was Déjà vu.

“I was in great position, I was just hesitant, you know?” McCollum admitted. “It reminded me a little bit of last year, in a way. The hesitancy. The being in a good place but not having the tenacity to go after it and get it. That’s why when I went over to the bench, I was like, ‘I can’t just rerun this same thing over and over again. At some point, I’m going to have to go out there and make a play.’”

Steelers WR George Pickens and Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

To his credit, McCollum found a silver lining in this play. While the struggles may have brought him down last year, he is taking it as a chance to grow.

“It felt good to know – to be in a bad spot and have all of those reoccurring thoughts from last year come into my head all over again, and then just put my foot down and say, ‘No, we’re not going to go do this again. That was terrible,’” McCollum said. “That’s growth, and that’s really all I hope for.”

As McCollum looks to improve, perhaps the most glaring area to refine is his tackling. While he has seen himself taking strides in this aspect of his game, he just needs to slow down and attack when the moment strikes.

“I’ve seen it grow because I feel like I don’t have to be at the spot as quickly,” McCollum said. “I felt like last year, my speed was what got me out of position a little bit. Me just slowing down and seeing everything with my eyes and then attacking. It’s helped me, but obviously, there’s always going to be room for improvement. As long as I’m missing a tackle in a game, that’s part of the game I have to fix.”