Former Duquesne wide receiver Bruce Hocker spent the past weekend at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' three-day rookie camp along with 37 other players signed to a tryout contract.

Hocker, who had 162 catches for 2,595 yards and 33 touchdowns at Duquesne and last season became the school's first player to participate in the Hula Bowl, is hoping to sign with the Buccaneers as a member of the team's offseason training camp roster. He already has received some exposure and might also get noticed by another NFL team.

"I'm very confident, very confident," Hocker was quoted in a published story after the camp.

"As the level of talent goes up and excels, I excel with it. It was definitely disappointing not to be drafted, but I haven't hit a level of competition yet where I've thought I don't belong."

Hocker knows he can get to the NFL from Duquesne because former Dukes star cornerback Leigh Bodden played the past five seasons as a part-time starter with the Cleveland Browns before being traded to the Detroit Lions this spring.