Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Shilo Sanders lit up after signing his first jersey in a heartfelt fan moment

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven’t played a preseason snap yet, but Shilo Sanders is already winning over fans in his new football home.

The former Colorado safety, now a rookie with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was taking part in a community event in Florida when a fan pulled up to the drive-thru window of a KFC wearing his No. 28 Bucs jersey.

Sanders was all smiles as he greeted the fan, who asked him to sign the jersey. He didn’t hesitate.

“This is the first Bucs jersey I ever signed,” he said in a video posted to his YouTube channel.

The meal giveaway was part of a promotional event ahead of Shilo’s first NFL training camp.

Sanders is known for his charasmatic personality. He's been sharing videos on his YouTube channel throughout the offseason, documenting his workouts, training, and community events.

His content is building him a loyal following, fast.

This drive-thru video, however, was a simple, genuine moment, and one that meant something to Sanders, as Tampa fans have shown Sanders some serious love early on.

Even before his jersey signing moment, Sanders was spotted in a plaza parking lot by a well-known Buccaneers superfan named “Buccafied,” who went viral for his enthusiastic reaction to seeing the rookie safety in public.

“We got a steal! Shilo’s a steal! This is the steal, baby. We stole, Shilo!” the fan shouted, hyped to see Sanders in person. “We’re going to the Super Bowl! Lockdown, baby!”

Sanders strutted behind him, flexing and smiling, visibly excited about the support. The video shows how quickly he’s becoming a fan favorite in Tampa.

While the excitement is real, Sanders still has work to do if he wants to make the Bucs’ 53-man roster.

He enters training camp listed as a fourth-string safety. He’ll need a strong showing in preseason games and on special teams to secure a spot.

Tampa’s defensive backfield includes Pro Bowl standout Antoine Winfield Jr., and second-year safety Tykee Smith is expected to take on a bigger role. Christian Izien, Kaevon Merriweather, Jacob Parrish, and Marcus Banks are also competing for roster spots.

That means Sanders will need to stand out on special teams and show he can be reliable in coverage. We all know he needs to improve consistency with his tackling and man coverage technique.

If he doesn’t make the active roster, the practice squad remains a possibility — and with the inevitable injuries that occur during a season, that could be his window to contribute.

This jersey moment was really exciting to see, however. The connection between Shilo and Tampa Bay helps give him a leg up on the team keeping him on.

Whether or not he earns a full-time role with the Bucs remains to be seen. But if the fans' reactions are any indication, he’s not done making an impact.

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