By Ray Hamill — Former Humboldt State star Alex Cappa made his regular season debut with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

The former Lumberjack, who was chosen by the Bucs in the third round of this year’s NFL draft, was included in the game day roster for the first time after being inactive for the opening 10 games.

And it was a successful debut for Cappa, who saw plenty of action at right guard in a winning performance, as the Bucs comfortably defeated the San Francisco 49ers 27-9.

The Bucs, who traded up to draft Cappa, appear to believe he has a bright future with the team, especially after an impressive training camp this past summer.

Cappa, however, has had to be patient as he makes the sizable leap from NCAA Division II to the NFL.

All NFL teams keep a roster of 53 players, and Cappa has been a part of the Bucs’ roster all season.

For game days, however, they must limit the number of players that suit up to 46.

For Sunday’s game, the Bucs opted to include eight offensive linemen on their game day roster for the first time this season, reportedly as insurance for injured center Ryan Jensen, who was expected to be limited.

Cappa appears to have taken full advantage of his opportunity too, as the Bucs turned in one of their best performances of the season.

Quarterback Jameis Winston completed 29 of 38 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns and finished with a quarterback rating of 117.4. 

It was also Winston’s first game without throwing an interception since Dec. 24 of last year.

The win ended a four-game losing streak for the Bucs, who are now 4-7.