TAMPA, FL -- Mazzi Wilkens is Mr. 813

Plant High School, then USF and now the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The capital of Mazzi’s football world has always been Tampa.

“Tampa football is legit,” Wilkins said. “You can check our track record. We’ve got a lot of guys to standup and put the city on their back and I’m just happy to be the next one to do so.”

Continuing to play in Tampa Bay seems meant to be. Mazzi went undrafted, but the Bucs gave him a shot at his NFL dream by inviting him to their rookie camp. The cornerback knows all too well about opportunities and redemption.

In four seasons at USF, Mazzi developed into one of the Bulls best defense players. Last season, he was second on the team with nine pass breakups. He earned a starting job with his hard-nose approach to the game.

In that rivalry game against UCF, Mazzi made the tackle. McKenzie Milton hit the ground. Then Mazzi hit his knees.

“As soon as it happened, I got down on a knee and prayed for him,” Wilkins said. “I didn’t know him. I prayed for him.”

A gruesome injury made way for a gruesome reaction.

“I look on Twitter and my name is trending and I’m like whoa, what?” Wilkins said.

Soon after the game, Mazzi and his family began receiving death threats. There were two players hurt on the field that day. McKenzie suffered the physical wounds. Mazzi’s were mental.

“Excuse my language but it was some B.S. what our fans were doing or just people just giving death threats, talking about his family,” Milton said. “I mean, it’s football, injuries happen.”

The two recently reunited for the first time since the incident. They prayed together and they hugged. They showcased the power of forgiveness. The power of football.

“You don’t never want to block somebody’s blessings, so I just wanted to meet him and be genuine with my guy,” Wilkins said. “You know, I got a friend now.”

 “It just goes to show what football can do,” Milton said. “It can bring people together that, like USF Bull and UCF Knight together, which is something special.”

McKenzie’s got a long road back to the football field. Mazzi’s path took a slight detour when he wasn’t drafted. With the Bucs, he’s got a chance to get back on track.

“The process was a very humbling experience and I know that I’m capable of playing in the league,” Wilkins said, “and it’s just a blessing to have my own home city say we’re going to take a chance on this guy.”