TAMPA -- Mazzi Wilkins is watching and learning. That is part of his game as a cornerback. Read and react. 

Mazzi has been growing as a player ever since his days at Dad's Stadium at Plant High School. Back then, Mazzi was roughly 150 pounds, but even with his small frame, he never let the big moments weigh him down. 

“I played at a very iconic high school (at Plant),” said Wilkins. “I have been around big crowds since the beginning so for me this has been nothing different.”

“Mazzi was a Plant Panther from day one,” said Plant football coach Robert Weiner. “He went through adversity in high school, as well as to start his time at USF. It is just so cool to see him succeeding and to be playing on Saturdays in his hometown of Tampa and it’s a blessing for us.”

It wasn’t just the crowds that prepared Mazzi and his fellow Panthers for college – it was every drill and every blow of the whistle. Mazzi realized that at Plant – everything had a purpose.  

“I remember we never took our helmets off in practice,” recalled Wilkins. “We ran to everything. And that stuck with me. I stuck with me as I went to college and practiced.” 

“The work that Mazzi put in has been incredible,” said Weiner. “He bought in as a Plant Panther and that results have been rewarding to watch ever since.” 

All football coaches are different. Mazzi would learn that at USF. If Robert Weiner is a thought-provoking mastermind of dreams, then Mazzi’s secondary coach, Blue Adams, can be, at times, a bit of a nightmare. 

“Coach Adams has a way of pulling out different abilities and he will use a lot of different techniques to get the best out of you and turn it into action,” said Wilkins. 

One of the most memorable moments for Mazzi came during spring ball in 2017. Mazzi was mildly injured and not practicing. So, coach Adams found a way to light the fire under his cornerback. 

“He walked over to my girlfriend and said ‘he shouldn’t be here, he’s not going to make it,’” Wilkins said. “No one wants to get shamed like that in front of someone they love.”

“I think for the most part a lot of the guys come in with unrealistic views of their abilities,” said Adams, who is in his second season at USF. “So, I try to bring it to the forefront and make them aware of their strengths, weaknesses, and deficiencies and try to see them grow and learn.” 

“That really stuck with me so we sat down and wrote down some things and just went to work,” said Wilkins.  

In 2017, Mazzi started all 13 games for the Bulls. He recorded a career-high, 32 tackles and was second on the team with three interceptions. But for coach Blue, it’s about never being satisfied. 

“I am still waiting for Mazzi to take over the game,” said Adams. “He has that ability and he has that capability. I am still waiting for that to come through.” 

One thing coach Blue might just like is hearing Mazzi Wilkins carry a no-nonsense attitude when it comes to playing in the Bulls’ secondary. 

“We have a standard and when guys come up they can either play to our standard or it’s next man up,” said a defiant Wilkins.  

Mazzi Wilkins is learning and growing. And Mazzi has seen that he can be a student of the game through tender love and care, or a good ol’ case of coach Blue’s cold hard facts of life.

Either way, the former wide-eyed Panther is a grizzled Bull who is ready to point the horns at his next opponent.