TAMPA ― Shortly after Michael Pratt was released by the Green Bay Packers, he had several NFL teams trying to sign him to their practice squad.
But the rookie quarterback from Tulane grew up in Boca Raton, and returning to his home state was right for his family and football.
“I actually made the decision,” Pratt said. “I had a couple options, and this was sort of a no-brainer for me. I was fired up. I called my mom and kind of told her what the situation was and she said, ‘Well, you’d better be coming home.’ So, she’s super excited. Back to home, which is close, but just far enough.”
The Bucs liked Pratt in the 2024 draft and were set to select him in the seventh round before he went one pick earlier to the Packers. Tampa Bay instead chose Washington tight end Devin Culp.
An outstanding baseball player who was homeschooled and not allowed to play football until the ninth grade, Pratt’s strong right arm has always been what people noticed about him. He threw 20 or more touchdowns in each of his four years piloting the Green Wave.
But now there’s another reason it deliberately draws attention: A tattoo that reads, “Be7ieve” is prominently etched on his right forearm.
No. 7 is what Pratt wore at Tulane, but he did so in honor of Bryce Gowdy, a talented receiver and favorite target at Deerfield Beach High School. Gowdy died by suicide in December 2019, according to the Broward County medical examiner’s office.
Believe in 7. That’s what Gowdy always said. Whenever the team needed seven points, No. 7 always stepped up.
“He was one my really close friends,” Pratt said. “... Kind of just reminds me of the kind of person I want to be. He was the nicest kid. Always looking out for other people. Always putting people before himself. You would never see him without a smile on his face and, really, he was going through a lot. But he always had a smile on his face, always had a presence in every room he walked into and made people around him feel better.”
A friend’s internal battle
Pratt and the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Gowdy were inseparable at Deerfield Beach. But as their senior year came to a close, Pratt announced in the school auditorium he would be signing with Tulane, in New Orleans, while Gowdy was headed to Georgia Tech, in Atlanta.
It wasn’t the only potential separation weighing heavily on Gowdy’s mind. According to a 2021 Washington Post story, his family was struggling, and it affected him deeply. His mother, Shibbon Winelle, was raising three boys on her own: 17-year-old Bryce, 16-year-old Brayden and 12-year-old Brisai.
She lost her three-bedroom condo, agreeing to not renew the lease rather than face eviction. That left them essentially homeless. They slept in friend’s houses, a barbershop where Winelle worked, even in their car. When there was enough money, they would get a hotel room for the night or the week.
Gowdy faced an internal battle, knowing he would soon be enjoying the spoils of a major-college football player, living in a dorm and eating all the food he wanted at the training table while his mother and brothers struggled back home.
He also had sustained multiple concussions while playing football. His first occurred when he was 11. While he was sidelined, according to the Post story, he told his mom he didn’t see the point of living anymore. More concussions followed. After he broke his leg in a high school game, he told his mother he was worried about the damage the sport was doing to his body.
Whatever his reasons, no one could have imagined the forces that would lead Gowdy to the door of a hotel room in Deerfield Beach early on the morning of Dec. 30, 2019, leaving behind his wallet and phone, to walk down to the tracks and stand in front of a roaring freight train.
Said Pratt, “That tattoo reminds me a lot: You never know what others are going through.”
Losing his biggest fan
As if the circumstances of Gowdy’s death weren’t enough, Pratt would have to deal with more tragedy shortly after playing at Tulane.
Pratt’s older brother, David, was his biggest fan. He never missed one of his games for the Green Wave. He would call him and recite stats that Pratt didn’t even know he had achieved.
Pratt will never forget when he learned that David and his girlfriend were expecting a baby girl. There are cherished videos of the gender reveal.
But shortly after Aria was born in the summer of 2023, David died in his sleep. Doctors later determined it was the result of complications from the flu.
“It’s life; your life is not easy,” Pratt said Wednesday. “You know, things happen. Unexpected things happen. But I think just being able to lean on family. I’ve been really blessed and fortunate to have great people in my life and just being strong in my faith and being a believer.
“God has got his plan for me and my family and everybody that’s around me, and I just trust in him. It’s trying to have people around me that I can count on and they can count on me. It’s probably the only way I made it through that stuff.”
In Tampa, Pratt is happy to be closer to his family and to his niece, who should be able to see him play one day.
“She’s growing up, walking, chatting her butt off,” Pratt said. “My mom sends me videos of her every day.”
‘A guy we can develop’
On the field, Pratt has a great opportunity with the Bucs. Baker Mayfield is established as the starter, having signed a three-year, $100 million contract. But backup Kyle Trask will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2024 season, and the Bucs didn’t really have a developmental quarterback until now.
“I think that’s kind of the purpose of why I wanted to be here,” Pratt said. “It’s definitely a great opportunity to have someone like Baker, even Kyle, that has some experience and years in this league that I can develop behind them and learn from. Once again, just super excited for the opportunity to be here and learn from those guys.”
Bucs coach Todd Bowles made it clear the Bucs expect Pratt to develop and earn a spot on the 53-man roster.
“We liked him in the draft process,” Bowles said. “We thought about him late, but he got taken. He’s a very good game quarterback. He can make all the throws, he’s not afraid. He’s accurate, and he’s smart. That’s one thing we liked about him. We don’t think we’ve got a practice squad quarterback. We think we got a guy we can develop.”
Right now, Pratt is wearing No. 11. But don’t be surprised if you see him in another number for the Bucs one day.
Believe in 7.
“You affect people in a positive way,” Pratt said. “And that’s what I try to do every single day is have an impact on somebody, and why not make it a positive one?”
