Tampa, FL - Quintin Anderson signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in the spring and is one of three former Wagner football players currently with NFL teams. WagnerAthletics.Com catches up with Anderson to see how things are going in Tampa Bay via a Q&A interview. Check back periodically through the summer for updates on Anderson and his former teammates and current Jacksonville Jaguar players Jeremiah Brown and Julian Stanford.

Q:  Give us a rundown of a typical day?
A: Well my alarm goes off at 6:00 am and I am in the building before breakfast at 6:30 am. After eating, we have a series of morning meetings. The first is a rookie special teams meeting, followed by a team meeting and then another team meeting. I then go to my defensive meeting, followed by a defensive line meeting. After the morning meetings, we have a walkthrough and then practice. And that's all before the average person is up to brush their teeth. After practice, we eat lunch, rehab and then go off to another round of meetings, where we break down film from practice. Then it's time to get bigger, stronger and faster in the weight room.  Following the workout, we have another meeting before dinner. By 7:00 pm I am walking into my hotel room to review my playbook and rest up for the next day.

Q:  Who are some of the players in your rookie class?
A: Well the draft picks are safety Mark Barron (Alabama), running back Doug Martin (Boise State), linebacker Najee Goode (West Virginia), defensive back Keith Tandy (West Virginia) and running back Mike Smith (Utah State). We also have a good amount of undrafted guys such as my roommate defensive tackle Jordan Nix (North Carolina), offensive tackle Jermarcus Hardrick (Nebraska), tight end Danny Noble (Toledo) and punter Eric Guthrie (Iowa).

Q:  What veterans have been the most helpful?
A: All of the veterans on the team have been helpful in one way or another but the most helpful to me are the veterans at my position. Adrian Clayborn, Michael Bennett and George Johnson have been showing me the tricks of the trade and when they aren't teaching, they are leading by example.

Q: What do you like most about the NFL?
A: I would have to say the competition. Every time that step on the gridiron you are going against the best of the best, and I love that.

Q: How is NFL football different then Wagner football?
A: (Laughs) Well since everything is different, I am going to go with the something that's similar. I would say Coach Greg Schiano and Coach # Walt Hameline# are pretty similar in the sense that they both bring an extreme amount intensity to the game of football.

Q: What do you miss most about Wagner?
A: I miss grinding with “2012” … That is a nickname for my crew of friends (Jeremiah Brown, David Crawford, Derrick Forrest and Julian Stanford). Over my four years at Wagner, all of my football memories were with those guys and now it's different not having those guys with me on the field.

Q: After minicamp ends, where are you going to continue your training?
A: After minicamp, I am headed back to the “Beach” and I'm not talking Jersey Shore. I will be returning to Wagner to work out with Strength & Conditioning Coach Brandon Beach, which I am extremely excited about.

Q: What do you do in your spare time?
A: My spare time is spent in my bed haha. Anyone that knows me, knows that I love to sleep so that's what I do. I also get caught up on twitter from time to time so follow me @Mr_QAnderson.

Q: What is the difference between the NFL and the Wagner playbook?
A: Well my Tampa Bay playbook is 10 times bigger and more complicated, but for me individually my NFL position is different than my position at Wagner. In college all I had to know was A gap, B gap or C gap and now being in the NFL I have to know various coverages, backfield sets and route combinations.

Q:  What Wagner coach prepared you the most for the NFL?
A: Although that I came in contact with many great coaches over my four years at Wagner that played integral roles in helping prepare me for the NFL, Coach Beach had the biggest impact on my preparation for the next level. Coach Beach is all about mental toughness and pushing you to the limit physically and mentally. That has helped me immensely throughout the early stages of my professional career. 

Q: How are you adjusting to the Florida heat?
A: I am finally adjusted to the Florida heat (laughs). But, the first week down here was tough. When I left New York for my first trip to Tampa, the weather in NYC was 44 degrees and when I got off the plane it was 88 degrees. Hydration played a big role in adjusting to the heat. I probably drink between six and eight Gatorades a day and that's no exaggeration.

Q: What advice would you give to the Wagner players, concerning playing in Florida (The Seahawks open up the 2012 season at Florida Atlantic on August 31)?
A: Make sure you hydrate properly because this Florida heat will get you if you don't.

Q: What player have you become the most close to?
A: I'm closest to my roommate Jordan Nix, because he is the only other rookie defensive lineman and he is the funniest guy on the team hands down.

Q: Describe the speed of the NFL game to the college game?
A: It's one thing to judge a player's speed when you are watching them on television, but you don't truly understand how fast the players are until you step on the field with them. The offensive lineman may not look like speed demons, but they are 300+ pound guys that are extremely nimble on their feet and can move.

Q: Had anyone heard of Wagner College before you arrived?
A: It's always funny when guys ask what school you're from, because most everyone here is from a powerhouse conference such as the ACC, Big 10, Pac 12 and SEC etc. When people ask me where I am from I tell them Wagner College up in Staten Island, and then the person gives me a confused look and the conversation ends (laughs).

Before Anderson, Brown and Stanford, the last Green & White player to sign with a NFL team was former First Team All Northeast Conference (NEC) kicker and punter Piotr Czech ('08). Czech attended training camp with the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Follow Anderson on Twitter (@Mr_QAnderson) and the official Wagner Twitter Account (@wagnerathletics) for all the latest news and updates on the Wagner Athletic Department.

Anderson's Tampa Bay Player Page / Video On Anderson Visiting St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa Bay