For five consecutive months, Ross Cockrell's alarm clock went off at 3:30 in the morning so he could be at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' practice facility within an hour, ready to work.
Hours before others were up on their feet, and before Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians was even on site, Cockrell was in defensive coordinator Todd Bowles' office learning the secondary. It started as an everyday occurrence, but as the season went on, Cockrell's early morning routine became a Wednesday through Friday ritual.
And on the first Sunday of February, Cockrell and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were crowned Super Bowl champions following their 31-9 victory over Kansas City.