VALLEY / VENTURA COUNTY SPORTS : DIGEST : McLaughlin Makes Cut in Tampa Bay, Will Debut Sunday

John McLaughlin, a fifth-round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who graduated from Hart High in 1994, survived the latest round of NFL cuts and will make his NFL debut Sunday against the New York Giants.

McLaughlin, a defensive end, is expected to play on special teams for the Buccaneers. He played the last two seasons at California after transferring from Notre Dame.

“I went in there, begged and begged and told them I wasn’t going to leave until they let me stay on the team,” McLaughlin said Wednesday. “Someone took a liking to me.”

McLaughlin said he waited by the phone Sunday for two hours to see if he would receive a call telling him he would be released.

It never came.

“It was a little bit nerve-racking,” he said.

McLaughlin, 6 feet 4, 255 pounds, isn’t worrying about playing time for now.

“Today’s practice was pretty hard, tomorrow’s practice is hard,” he said. “I really can’t see past practice because practice just sucks. If we could just play on Sunday, it would be great.”