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To understand how Patrick Omameh is making a name for himself as the player to beat at right guard for the Bucs, just listen to his head coach.
Lovie Smith's praise of the second-year lineman hasn't changed since Saturday's preseason game, but his pronunciation of the 24-year-old's last name has evolved.
Sunday, it was uh-MOH-me. Monday, it was oh-MOH-may, and the coach stopped himself.
"First off, I need to figure out how to pronounce everyone's name," said Smith, repeating it correctly - oh-MAH-may - as he praised the son of Nigerian immigrants.
In a guard competition that has changed direction several times, Omameh is an unexpected leader. He lacks the experience of Jamon Meredith - now relegated to second-string tackle - or the investment placed by the Bucs in fifth-round draft pick Kadeem Edwards, now battling for a backup role.
But ask teammates about Omameh, and they see intelligence - he was recruited out of high school by MIT and Princeton - and strength, having added 50 pounds to his frame in his five years at Michigan.
"He's always been strong. Crazy strong," said his college quarterback and...