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SAD NEWS: Buccaneers Legend Battles Dementia at 73, Loses His Voice but Still Remembers Tampa Bay

Tampa, Florida – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers community is quietly rallying around Mark Cotney, a foundational safety from the franchise’s earliest winning era, after his family confirmed he is battling dementia at approximately 73 years old. The illness has progressed to the point where Cotney has largely lost his ability to speak and requires daily care. Yet even as time steals details, his connection to Tampa Bay endures.

Family members shared that Cotney struggles with routine memories, but certain truths remain untouched. He still recognizes loved ones, and he still knows he once played football for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When highlights from the late 1970s play, his eyes briefly brighten. Those moments—small, fleeting—have become priceless reminders of who he was and what the game meant to him.

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Cotney played safety for Tampa Bay from 1976 to 1984, a span that included the franchise’s first true rise to relevance. A reliable starter in a rugged defensive backfield, he was known for discipline, toughness, and consistency. “Mark didn’t need to be loud,” a former teammate once said. “He just did his job, snap after snap, and everyone trusted him.”

His contributions were central to the Buccaneers’ breakthrough run to the NFC Championship Game in 1979, when Tampa Bay transformed from an expansion afterthought into a legitimate contender. Cotney’s presence on the back end brought stability to a defense that defined that era. For longtime fans, his name is inseparable from the franchise’s earliest moments of belief and pride.

Though dementia has taken much from Mark Cotney, it has not taken his legacy. Old clips of his play are being shared again across Buccaneers circles, paired with simple messages of gratitude. “Thank you for building this,” one fan wrote. Cotney’s family has also encouraged support for dementia and brain-health research—hoping future players are better protected, even as the pioneers who built Tampa Bay face their toughest battle off the field.

Zelensky Accuses Russia of Supplying Suicide Drones to Iran
  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of supplying Iran with Shahed-style suicide drones, which are reportedly being used by Tehran to target U.S. bases and neighboring countries in the Middle East. However, Zelensky has not provided concrete evidence to support these claims. In an interview released by CNN on March 14, Zelensky stated, "I have 100% accurate information that Iran is using this type of UAV to target U.S. bases and neighboring countries in the Middle East." The Shahed drones, originally produced by Russia after receiving a license from Iran, have been implicated in attacks on U.S. and allied military installations in the region. Zelensky further claimed that Russia is also providing intelligence support to Iran's attacks. "Russia's position is that if Washington and Europe are helping Kyiv with intelligence, Moscow can similarly support Tehran," Zelensky added. Despite these bold assertions, the Ukrainian president did not present any direct evidence to substantiate his claims. Neither Russia nor Iran has officially commented on these allegations. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed on March 14 that Iran is "militarily cooperating" with both Russia and China, though he did not provide further details. Earlier reports from The Washington Post cited sources indicating that Russia had provided Iran with intelligence on the location of U.S. military assets in the Middle East. This alleged support is believed to have helped Tehran successfully target a range of high-value targets in the region, including radar systems valued between $500 million to over a billion dollars. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff stated on March 10 that Russia has denied sharing intelligence with Iran, affirming that Washington "can trust" Moscow's statements. Shahed drones, developed by Iran, come in various models and have been a key part of Iran's military capabilities. Iran reportedly supplied several Shahed-136 drones to Russia, granting Moscow a license to produce them under the name Geran-2. The Geran-2, which weighs about 200 kg and carries a 50 kg warhead, has a range of 2,500 km and is primarily used by Russian forces in long-range strikes against Ukraine. However, it can also be used for tactical strikes near the frontlines if needed. Images of a Geran-2 UAV in flight over Kyiv in December 2025 have highlighted its growing role in the conflict. In late February 2026, after the U.S. and Israel launched an attack on Iran, Tehran responded by targeting Israel's territory, U.S. bases in the Middle East, and vital energy infrastructure across the Gulf region with both missiles and suicide drones. According to CBS, the early phase of the conflict saw an Iranian drone strike on a U.S. military operations center in Kuwait, resulting in six soldiers' deaths. The specific type of drone used remains unclear. Additionally, a radar system in Qatar, worth approximately $1.1 billion, was damaged in an attack believed to have been carried out by an Iranian suicide drone. The growing use of these drones by Iran, particularly with alleged Russian support, has further escalated tensions in the Middle East, adding to the already volatile situation between the U.S., Iran, and their respective allies.