TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-signed linebacker Orie Lemon on Wednesday, the third time the Houston native has been with the Bucs this season. But that has been the story of his NFL life.
Undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2011, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys and spent parts of three seasons there, playing a total of eight games in two stints with the club. He also has spent time on the Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals practice squads.
The Bucs signed him from the Chiefs' practice squad in 2014 and he played 10 games that season, with three starts. This year he has played in six games, all on special teams, with the Bucs.
He shared his experiences and journey with us as part of our weekly Q&A with a member of the Bucs:
Have you racked up a lot of frequent-flyer miles?
Lemon: I guess so. You can say that (laughs).
How frustrating has the journey been?
Lemon: It's not where I want it to be, but at the end of the day I'm still blessed. I have an opportunity to still provide for my family. At the beginning I used to be down, but I had to learn there's more to life. I'm blessed to have this opportunity and I'm glad to be here.
What keeps you going and not giving up?
Lemon: That's kind of hard to answer. If anyone knows me as a person, they know I just go. I abide by the rules and continue to move on. How I was raised, it was always never quit; have a heart of the lion. I went to Yates High School and our mascot was a Lion. We never quit.
If you weren't into football, what would you be doing?
Lemon: I'd probably be coaching some kids somewhere.
What's your advice to the younger players who may be in a similar situation as you?
Lemon: To always fight. We always had this term: eat. You always wanted to eat. We stayed hungry. Things don't go our way sometimes, but we overcame it and became better.
