"It was tough my last year in Minnesota, I'm not going to lie," said Hovan, a defensive tackle. "I was deactivated, I didn't get along with the head coach (Mike Tice). It happened. It's in the past. I can't take it back. I don't even know if I would take it back because it led me to being where I am right now."

Hovan wouldn't elaborate on his differences with Tice. He also accepted some of the blame for the blown relationship.

"I was younger, I was going through a lot," Hovan said. "I don't know if I knew how to handle it all the time the right way. And growing up, maturing, and being around guys like (Bucs veterans) Derrick Brooks and Ronde Barber, there's a different type of leadership down here than there was in Minnesota. I got down here and started listening and learning how to act and be a professional."

The 25th overall draft pick in 2000, Hovan had a career-low 23 tackles in 2004. He also was inactive five times, including both playoff games.

He signed with the Bucs as a free agent three months later, switched to nose tackle and led the defensive line in tackles (64) as the Bucs put together the NFL's top-ranked defense. His first game as a Buc was a 24-13 victory at the Metrodome.

Hovan had 78 more tackles in 2006, a career-high 95 tackles last season and has 27 this season on a defense that ranks seventh overall and 11th against the run. He credits much of his success to Monte Kiffin, the Bucs' 68-year-old defensive coordinator and former Vikings assistant. The Bucs have had a top-five defense in eight of Kiffin's 12 full seasons, including No. 1 twice.

"It's been a privilege playing for [Kiffin]," Hovan said. "When I was up in Minnesota, it really wasn't known for defense. It really was all about the offense.

"But I came down here and I understood the importance of defense. This is a defensive city. They've been doing it ever since Tony [Dungy] got here in 1996. Monte is the architect of this defense. He motivates his players and he gets results every year."

Asked if the Vikings had the personnel to be competitive defensively when he was there, Hovan said, "At certain positions, no. If you look at the defense right now for the Vikings and back when I played, the personnel is way different. The onus wasn't put on getting defensive players. It was more offense, and justifiably so because the offense was putting up 30, 40 points a game."

The Bucs' run defense will be challenged Sunday. Adrian Peterson leads the NFL in rushing and is coming off a season-high 192 yards in a win over the Packers. The Bucs have been solid against the run for most of the season. They've allowed just one 100-yard rusher (Kansas City's Jamaal Charles), one rushing touchdown and are on pace to break the team record of 75 rushing first downs allowed.

Hovan is an important part of that success. He's 305 pounds, which is 15 fewer than he was in 2004 and considerably lighter than most NFL nose tackles.

"But he's got some first-step quickness," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said.

"He's just a very reliable, hard-nosed Football player who brings it every snap. Those are the kinds of guys we like here."