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Bucs' Mazzi Wilkins eager to forge new identity beyond devastating hit

TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Mazzi Wilkins didn’t want to be remembered as the South Florida cornerback who delivered the hit that potentially ended Central Florida quarterback McKenzie Milton’s football career and nearly cost him his leg.

He didn’t want to be known as a failure either, after he didn’t hear his name called in the 2019 NFL draft and didn’t get a call back after rookie minicamp -- although he said he felt like one.

“When you fail, you’ve gotta look deeper in yourself and realize why you failed," said Wilkins, who, while continuing to train, devoted more time to reading, self-discovery and working on his relationships with others.