Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
(Nick)name game
Minkah Fitzpatrick: If Bucs QB wants to use FitzMagic, just ask
DAVIE — If Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick would like to use the FitzMagic nickname, Miami Dolphins safety/nickel cornerif back Minkah Fitzpatrick says he should give him a call.
Minkah Fitzpatrick, a firstround pick out of Alabama, has received a considerable amount of attention after news of his trademark application for the FitzMagic became public this week.
If approved, Minkah Fitzpatrick will be able to use FitzMagic on clothing apparel, and take advantage of a name that has been associated with Ryan Fitzpatrick on social media after his red-hot start to the 2018 season.
“I’m not too worried about it,” Minkah Fitzpatrick said on Wednesday.
“He’s been in the league too long. He’s a certified vet. If he wants the name, he can take it
he wants it. He’s a great football player.
“If he wants it, he can contact me and my people, and he can have it if he wants it.”
Fitzpatrick submitted an application for FitzMagic to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Sept. 12, according to a TheSports.Biz report Monday.
The timing, after the first week of the NFL season and Ryan Fitzpatrick’s performance, has brought considerable media attention to Minkah Fitzpatrick despite his desire to benefit from a nickname he has held since high school.
Ryan Fitzpatrick leads the NFL with 819 passing yards and is second in touchdowns with eight after leading the Buccaneers to a 2-0 start without Jameis Winston, who is serving a three-game suspension to start the season.
Ryan Fitzpatrick has also capitalized on his play and media attention, by doing his most recent postgame press conference shirtless while wearing a jacket and jewelry belonging to teammate Desean Jackson.
“I really don’t think it was as big of a deal people made it out to be,” Minkah Fitzpatrick said. “If he wanted it, I’m sure he could have used it at some point. It is what it is.”
Fitzpatrick said he wanted to trademark the phrase last year, but could not because of his status as a college football player at Alabama.
The FitzMagic name stems from a headline in an article written about him during high school, and has stayed with him and his family ever since.
His mother, Melissa, even posted family photos of the Fitzpatricks on social media wearing clothing with FitzMagic on it in defense of comments directed toward her son.
“Nobody said when one word about someone else’s name nor did it when we filed. So stop the nonsense,” Melissa Fitzpatrick posted from her Twitter account earlier this week.
Fitzpatrick said as a result of the trademark application news, he has received “some very unnecessary comments directed to my family and I.”
Despite the criticism and social media remarks, Fitzpatrick wants his play on the field to do the rest of the talking.
After the first two games of his career, he’s third on the Dolphins with nine tackles, a pass deflection and a critical fourth-down stop that could have resulted in a score.
“They want me to earn my nickname, that’s what I’m going to do,” Fitzpatrick.
“I’m playing pretty well for a rookie my first two games. I’m going to continue to progress. I just focus on football. I’m not focused on silly nicknames or nothing like that. I’m just worried about being the best version of Minkah Fitzpatrick, and helping my team win games.”
O’Leary signed
The Dolphins added Nick O’Leary, a former Florida State standout and Buffalo Bills tight end, to their practice squad Wednesday, according to a league source.
O’Leary, who attended Palm Beach Dwyer High School, was waived by the Bills earlier this month, failing to make the 53-man roster.
O’Leary could become a viable tight end option for the Dolphins, who are using a committee of fourthyear tight end A.J. Derby with rookies Mike Gesicki and Durham Smythe this season.
Starter MarQueis Gray, entering his seventh season, tore his Achilles before Week 1, and was placed on injured reserve.