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Steelers sign top pick, 3-C
TAMPA - Lars Tate strolled into the Martinez Sports Center gymnasium at 4 p.m. Friday, scanned the room and asked a bystander where he could find Tampa Bay Buccaneers administrator Phil Krueger.
Tate had just arrived in town after an eight-hour drive from Atlanta, and he wanted to tell Krueger that he was ready to sign a contract and get to work.
It was at that very moment that Tate, the Bucs' second-round draft choice, realized how much he had missed by sitting out the first five days of training camp while his agent and the Bucs negotiated his salary.
Because of rain the Bucs were practicing inside the gym, and Tate said he didn't feel quite right walking across the room in a blue muscle shirt, gray shorts, thick gold chain and fancy sneakers.
``It's a funny feeling when everyone is looking at you, you're in street clothes and they're out there sweating and working,`` said Tate, a running back from Georgia. ``I...